Ministry leadership salaries in Texas
In this article
What you can do with a ministry degree in Texas | Snapshot of ministry careers | Salary stats and overview | Factors affecting salaries | Basic education path | Cost of living in Texas | Networking and resources
By: All Online Schools Staff
Updated: February 16, 2026
Why Texas for ministry leadership?
Education
- The state hosts many top-ranked seminaries and theological schools
Diversity
Demand
Cost of living
An online bachelor’s degree in ministry leadership, divinity, theology or Bible studies may offer the following opportunities in Texas:
- Access to church and pastoral settings: Church or pastoral leadership roles in local congregations.
- Chaplaincy opportunities: Chaplaincy positions in hospitals, prisons or the military.
- Community and nonprofit leadership: Nonprofit or faith-based organizational leadership.
- Teaching roles: Teaching or mentoring roles in Christian education programs.
What you can do in ministry leadership in Texas
Texas’s faith landscape is shaped by both its large immigrant communities—especially Hispanic, African and Asian Catholics and Pentecostals—and a long‑standing indigenous Baptist tradition. With an online bachelor’s in ministry leadership in Texas you may be able to step into unique roles such as these:
- Cowboy church pastor: Serving rural “cowboy” congregations unique to Texas culture.
- Industrial chaplain: Work in the oil and gas sector and minister at refineries and rigs.
- Chaplain, Texas Department of Criminal Justice: Serve through a prison ministry across the state’s vast penal system.
- Hispanic ministry director: Lead Spanish‑language outreach efforts in megachurches.
- Associational missionary: Oversee networks of local Texas Baptist churches.
- University campus minister: Serve the student and staff population at a major Texas public university, such as Texas A&M or University of Texas Austin.
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Snapshot of ministry leadership and faith-based roles in Texas
In Texas, 450 individuals work as directors of religious activities and education, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), with another 620 as religious workers, all others and finally, 2,310 members of the clergy. This ranks Texas as the 10th highest employer for directors of religious services and activities in the nation, with the state ranked sixth in the U.S. for religious workers, and seventh for clergy. Median hourly wages and expected job growth over the next ten years looked like this:
| Job role | Median hourly pay (BLS) | National job growth rate through 2034 |
|---|---|---|
| Directors of religious activities and education | $37 | 2.1% |
| Clergy | $29 | 1% |
| Religious worker, all others | $14 | 0.6% |
Here here are five major employers in Texas for faith-based or ministry leadership professionals, along with how these professionals’ skills are utilized:
- Texas Baptists (Baptist General Convention of Texas), Statewide: Employs pastors, associational missionaries, youth ministers and church consultants to support and equip over 5,300 affiliated churches and ministries across the state.
- Catholic Diocese of Dallas, and other major Texas dioceses in Houston-Galveston and San Antonio: Utilizes ministry leaders as parish administrators, catechists, outreach coordinators and bilingual pastoral staff serving diverse urban and immigrant populations.
- Gateway Church, Southlake: Employs ministry professionals in preaching, pastoral care, small group leadership, worship ministry, and spiritual formation within a large multisite megachurch setting.
- Baylor Scott and White Health, Dallas (main): Uses chaplains and spiritual care coordinators to provide emotional and faith-based support to patients, families and staff in hospitals and clinics statewide.
- Buckner International, Dallas: A Christian nonprofit that hires ministry-trained professionals as family ministers, chaplains, case managers and program leaders for faith-integrated services like foster care, senior living and humanitarian aid.
Salary stats for Texas faith-based roles
Salaries for faith-based and ministry roles in Texas generally align closely with national averages, though they may vary widely based on region, denomination and job function. In larger urban centers like Dallas, Housto, and Austin—especially within megachurches or healthcare systems—ministry professionals may earn slightly above average. However, in rural areas or smaller congregations, compensation tends to be more modest. Overall, Texas offers a relatively balanced cost of living, which can help offset lower pay in some ministry settings.
Median annual salary comparisons for the three roles the BLS detailed at a national level and within the state of Texas are as follows:
Median national vs. state wage
| Faith-based role | Median annual national wage (BLS) | Texas median annual wage (BLS) |
|---|---|---|
| Directors of religious activities and education | $54,840 | $77,120 |
| Clergy | $60,820 | $59,550 |
| Religious worker, all others | $45,120 | $28,890 |
Median salaries within Texas
Median salaries for the three ministry roles the BLS detailed, with highest paying metro areas listed first, include:
10%$43,200
25%$55,550
50%$77,120Median
75%$100,100
90%$122,350
Median Hourly Wage$37
Job growth2.1%
Total Employment450
| Metro area | Median Salary | Bottom 10% | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $80,460 | $46,640 | $126,770 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $77,090 | $50,960 | $100,770 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $62,710 | $41,690 | $124,010 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2024 median salary; projected job growth through 2034. Actual salaries may vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.
10%$38,390
25%$48,680
50%$59,550Median
75%$70,920
90%$82,110
Median Hourly Wage$29
Job growth1%
Total Employment2,310
| Metro area | Median Salary | Bottom 10% | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waco, TX | $68,340 | $42,860 | $106,650 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $62,420 | $40,890 | $74,060 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | $62,400 | $35,950 | $89,860 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $61,980 | $46,900 | $81,860 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $61,480 | $35,890 | $82,890 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $59,580 | $38,460 | $81,430 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $58,600 | $37,550 | $85,960 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $57,820 | $36,700 | $97,610 |
| El Paso, TX | $56,640 | $36,950 | $86,940 |
| Tyler, TX | $49,450 | $35,570 | $63,180 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2024 median salary; projected job growth through 2034. Actual salaries may vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.
10%$26,240
25%$28,040
50%$28,890Median
75%$45,230
90%$60,470
Median Hourly Wage$14
Job growth0.6%
Total Employment620
| Metro area | Median Salary | Bottom 10% | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $42,120 | $27,120 | $72,410 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $28,880 | $28,880 | $59,840 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2024 median salary; projected job growth through 2034. Actual salaries may vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.
Employment and pay by Texas metro area
Your earning level may depend upon where you live within your state. The areas in Texas where wages and employment opportunities for faith-based jobs are strongest include:
- Dallas-Fort Worth: Home to numerous megachurches, Christian nonprofits, seminaries and denominational headquarters, offering diverse, well-paying roles in ministry, education and administration.
- Houston: A highly diverse city with large Catholic, Baptist and immigrant faith communities, plus major hospital systems employing chaplains and faith leaders, resulting in strong demand and competitive salaries.
- Austin: While smaller, Austin offers higher-than-average wages and growing opportunities in campus ministry, faith-based social justice organizations and churches reaching young, urban populations.
As far as wages, the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area ranked fifth in the U.S. on the BLS’ list of highest pay for directors of religious activities and education, with San Antonio-New Braunfels ranking sixth.
Factors affecting ministry leadership salaries in Texas
Several factors may influence salaries for religious workers, clergy and ministry professionals. Some Texas-specific factors that may affect what you earn include:
Basic education path to faith-based roles in Texas
The basic education path to faith-based careers in Texas typically consists of following this path:
- Earn a bachelor’s degree: Pursue a bachelor’s degree in ministry, theology, divinity or a related field through an online school program or Bible college.
- Earn a master’s degree: Pursue optional seminary or graduate study for roles such as pastor, chaplain or as an educator.
- Denominational endorsement or ordination: Consider ordination or commissioning by a church, denomination or faith organization in order to advance.
Texas does not impose unique statewide certifications for ministry roles, but individual employers or denominations may require ordination, theological degrees or denominational endorsements—similar to most other states. Chaplain roles in prisons or hospitals may require Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) or endorsement from a recognized religious body.
Cost of living in Texas
Texas’s labor market is booming broadly, which benefits faith-based professions—but faith-based-specific job growth is moderate and slightly below the national average, even as salaries stay competitive with nearby states.
However, O*Net, a subsidiary of the BLS, reported that the job growth rate for clergy in Texas, looked promising, with an 8% job growth rate through 2032. This is faster than the national average for this career field, and approximately 4,660 new jobs would be added during that timeframe.
Job growth is important when weighed against the cost of living in Texas. The World Population Review Cost of Living Index ranked Texasa with an index of 92.7. This means if the national average is 100, Texas is 7.3% lower than the national average. The following areas ranked highest for cost of living in the state:
- Austin: Driven by rapid tech industry growth, housing prices and urban demand.
- Dallas: High cost for housing, services and transportation in major metro areas.
- Houston: Rising housing and healthcare costs push it above average, especially inside the Loop.
And the following areas, which have a strong religious presence, ranked significantly lower than the average cost of living:
- Lubbock: Home to dozens of Baptist, Methodist and Church of Christ congregations, and features low housing and healthcare costs.
- Abilene: Known for Abilene Christian University, a hub for Church of Christ and ministry leadership.
- Tyler: Strong Southern Baptist and nondenominational presence with lower housing and utility costs than most Texas cities.
Resources for faith-based workers in Texas
Here are three professional groups and resources in Texas that support faith-based professionals. These organizations may help them stay connected, grow spiritually and professionally and advocate for the role of ministry in modern society.
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All Online Schools is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.