# Pastoral Counseling / Ministry (bachelor's degree)

CIP 39.07. Page: https://educationguide.com/degrees/pastoral-counseling-ministry

## Earnings
- Graduates 4 years after finishing: median $44,562 across 28 colleges (middle half $38,298–$46,531); median federal debt $26,375
- All workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's in Theology And Religious Vocations: median $47,226 (all bachelor's $62,049; high school $35,638; Census ACS 2020-2024)

## Jobs graduates hold (ages 25-34)
| Job | Share | U.S. median wage | Growth 2025-35 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clergy | 18% | $60,810 | 2.4% |
| Other Managers | 3% | not reported | — |
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 3% | $64,170 | -0.4% |
| Directors, Religious Activities And Education | 2% | $52,100 | 3.3% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2% | $35,410 | -0.3% |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Retail Sales Workers | 2% | $48,520 | -3.7% |
| Secondary School Teachers | 1% | $70,930 | -0.2% |
| Religious Workers, All Other | 1% | $45,280 | 1.5% |

## By state
| State | Graduates 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| CA | — | $50,116 (111) |
| IN | $44,733 (3) | — |
| MI | $38,298 (3) | — |
| PA | $40,407 (3) | $41,336 (101) |
| TX | — | $53,696 (150) |

## Top colleges by graduate earnings (published states)
1. Life Pacific University (CA): $52,477
2. Regent University (VA): $49,799
3. Trinity Baptist College (FL): $46,933
4. Liberty University (VA): $46,531
5. Southeastern University (FL): $30,430

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#degrees

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0). O*NET data: CC BY 4.0, O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA).