Leadership Network research director Warren Bird recently posted a blog announcing the release of Leadership Network’s 2010 Large Church Salary and Benefits Report. Among the questions he’s answered about the report was one asking if the median salary for a megachurch pastor was in a similar range for other professions, such as chief executives in the non-profit or education fields. Bird examined the research and found that the pastor’s median salary of $139,000 per year (including base rate and housing allowance) is often lower than comparative roles outside the church:
Median salaries for
- Education chief executives: $166,650
- Education chief academic officers: $158,000
- Non-profit CEO, budgets between $2.5–5 million: $112,639
- Non-profit CEO, budgets between $5–10 million: $137,668
- Non-profit CEO, budget between $10–25 million: $173,457
Bird says a megachurch with an attendance of 2,000–2,999 has a typical budget of $5.7 million, and one with an attendance of 10,000–14,999 has a typical budget of $13.5 million.
What is your experience in comparing pastors’ salaries with those outside the church? Do your results agree with these? Offer your comments and thoughts below.
