CareerGPS

Clergy
Summary Occupational Forecast Data for Clergy
Employment Employment Change Average Annual Job Openings Wage & Training Levels
2020 2025 Numerical Percent New Jobs Replacement Jobs Total Median Hourly Median Annual Training Levels
1,339 1,316 -22 -1.66% -4 129 124 $26.31 $54,730 Bachelor's degree
Description: Conduct religious worship and perform other spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination. Provide spiritual and moral guidance and assistance to members.
Forecast Data Source: EMSI (4th Quarter 2023)

Occupation Details

The information in this section represents occupational characteristics included in O*NET which defines key features of an occupation as a standardized, measurable set of variables called "descriptors". These distinguishing characteristics of an occupation are described in greater detail in the O*NET Content Model. All items are listed in descending order of importance.

  • Pray and promote spirituality.
  • Read from sacred texts such as the Bible, Torah, or Koran.
  • Prepare and deliver sermons and other talks.
  • Organize and lead regular religious services.
  • Share information about religious issues by writing articles, giving speeches, or teaching.
  • Instruct people who seek conversion to a particular faith.
  • Counsel individuals and groups concerning their spiritual, emotional, and personal needs.
  • Visit people in homes, hospitals, and prisons to provide them with comfort and support.
  • Train leaders of church, community, and youth groups.
  • Administer religious rites or ordinances.
  • Study and interpret religious laws, doctrines, and/or traditions.
  • Conduct special ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, and confirmations.
  • Plan and lead religious education programs for their congregations.
  • Respond to requests for assistance during emergencies or crises.
  • Devise ways in which congregation membership can be expanded.
  • Collaborate with committees and individuals to address financial and administrative issues pertaining to congregations.
  • Prepare people for participation in religious ceremonies.
  • Perform administrative duties such as overseeing building management, ordering supplies, contracting for services and repairs, and supervising the work of staff members and volunteers.
  • Refer people to community support services, psychologists, and/or doctors as necessary.
  • Participate in fundraising activities to support congregation activities and facilities.
  • Organize and engage in interfaith, community, civic, educational, and recreational activities sponsored by or related to their religion.

Knowledge

64%
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
60%
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
59%
Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
58%
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
56%
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
52%
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Skills

90%
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
88%
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
88%
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
88%
Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
88%
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
85%
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
78%
Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
78%
Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
78%
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
75%
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
75%
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
72%
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
72%
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
72%
Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
72%
Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
69%
Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
69%
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
69%
Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
65%
Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
62%
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
50%
Management of Financial Resources - Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
50%
Management of Material Resources - Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.

Abilities

91%
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
91%
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
88%
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
85%
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
81%
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
78%
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
75%
Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
75%
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
75%
Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
75%
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
72%
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
72%
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
69%
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
66%
Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
66%
Memorization - The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
62%
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
53%
Time Sharing - The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
50%
Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
50%
Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.
50%
Speed of Closure - The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.

Work Activities

97%
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
95%
Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
93%
Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
92%
Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
90%
Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
90%
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
90%
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
88%
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
87%
Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
86%
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
85%
Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
85%
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
85%
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
83%
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
81%
Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
81%
Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
80%
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
78%
Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
78%
Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
77%
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
77%
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
75%
Monitoring and Controlling Resources - Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
74%
Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
73%
Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
71%
Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
71%
Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
69%
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
64%
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
62%
Interacting With Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
62%
Staffing Organizational Units - Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
62%
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
50%
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
Title Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Overall Experience Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job Training Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Job Zone Examples These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, wildlife biologists, school psychologists, surgeons, treasurers, and controllers.
Education Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Interests

Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Artistic - Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Work Styles

Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Work Values

Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.