The Average Salary of a Methodist Licensed Minister

The Wesley brothers, John and Charles, were instrumental in founding the Methodist church.

John and Charles Wesley are generally credited as the founding influences of the Methodist church after their conversion to Christianity in May 1738. As of early 2011, there were 7,774,931 members of the denomination in the United States. The average salary of a licensed Methodist minister varies due to a number of factors.

Overview

According to United Methodist Communications, a press center for the United Methodist Church, the average salary for a Methodist minister in the United States was $55,000 in 2008, the most recent year of study. This represents a 21 percent increase compared to the $45,300 the same group made in 1998. The vast majority of the full-time ministers in this group received benefits such as health insurance, paid vacations and retirement from their congregations as well.

Male Ministers by Race

Methodist ministers overall averaged $58,500 annually as of 2008. Black ministers averaged $51,800; Asian ministers averaged $54,700; Hispanic/Latino ministers averaged $48,600; and those characterized as "other" averaged $50,000 per year. The denomination attributes the difference in wages to the propensity for "the assignment of nonwhite pastors to congregations that pay lower salaries. Most of the gender/race gap disappears once congregational, personal and position attributes are taken into account."

Female Ministers by Race

The Methodist denomination recognizes women ministers and, as of 2008, 24 percent of the ministers within the denomination were women. The average white female minister averaged $50,300 in 2008, while black female ministers averaged $49,700; Asian female ministers averaged $51,600; Hispanic/Latino ministers averaged $46,700; and females characterized as "other" averaged $43,800 annually. According to United Methodist Communications, this sizable difference in pay stems from lower experience and seniority among Methodist female pastors when compared to male ministers.

Other Considerations

The size, location and relative wealth of the local body also influences a Methodist minister's salary, as each body may decide its own pay scale for its minister. Similarly, some Methodist conferences, or groups of local church bodies, have higher salaries than others, largely due to wealth distribution within the groups. Wages tend to peak at the age of 45, then gradually decline. The United Methodist Communications report explains that "salaries increase by $5,000 — from $50,000 to $55,000 — between 20 and 45 years of age, and then decline by about the same amount between 45 and 70 years of age."

References

• United Methodist Communications; Report Examines Salaries for United Methodist Clergy in the U.S.; November 2010
• General Board of Higher Education and Ministry: Salaries for United Methodist Clergy in the U.S. Context
• United Methodist Church: History — Our Story
• Hartford Institute for Religion Research: Fast Facts

Resources

• Pulpit and Pew; How Much Should We Pay the Pastor? A Fresh Look at Clergy Salaries in the 21st Century; Becky R. McMillan, et al.
• A Walking Paradox; Clergy Salaries — Recent Research; December 2006
• Spurgeon.org: Iain Murray on Whitefield and Wesley