Salary & Benefits

 

  1. What tools, resources, or websites does your overseeing body use to set and review your senior pastor salary?

  • Mostly asking other pastors I know in similar contexts

  • PayScale, Barna, ARC, Bamboo HR

  • Just a local board at this point, alongside denominational directives

  • Denominational

  • We have not used other tools to set salaries, but have viewed https://www.churchsalary.com/https://www.vanderbloemen.com/comensation

  • Paychex

  • Formulas put together by Christianity Today and Vanderbloemen

  • Denominational guidance

  • Experience

  • Yearly nationwide compensation report

  • Our denomination (PCA) has a compensation study that our elders usually consult on an annual basis and especially for new pastoral hires.

  • Leadnet.org/churchcomensationservices.com/Ministrypay.com/churchsalary.com

  • Relationships with other churches, and church staffing.com resource

  • None, reached out to other churches and asked

  • We took time to investigate sources years ago and have stayed consistent with annual COL adjustments

  • Churchsalary.com; Leadership Network Salary Report

  • Google spreadsheets, quickbooks for previous year’s revenue

  • 2018 Compensation Handbook

  • Hammer

 

2. Are any other resources used to set and review staff salaries and wages other than stated above?

  • 74% Yes

  • 26% No

 

3. If yes, please list resources:

  • Online surveys and other Baptist groups resources

  • Job performance

  • Ad hoc surveys of pastors in town

  • County average income index for past 5 years

  • ChurchSalary.com

  • Guidestone Financial Resources handbook, Southern Baptist Convention

 

4. What percentage of your church’s annual budget goes to staffing?

  • 4% - Salaries are 29% or below budget

  • 35% - Salaries 30%-35% of budget

  • 4% - Salaries are 36%-40% of budge

  • 9% - Salaries are 41%-45% of budget

  • 4% - Salaries are 46%-50% of budget

  • 9% - Salaries are 51%-55% of budget

  • 22% - Salaries are 56%60% of budget

  • 13% - Salaries are 60% plus of budget

 

5. Do you bonus your staff on performance?

  • 74%

  • 26%

 

6. Do you give a Christmas bonus?

  • 65% Yes

  • 35% No

 

7. If yes, please explain.

  • We give one full pay period for Christmas bonuses, and we have given bonus (usually around $1,000) for exceptional service and over and beyond scope of duty things

  • Currently just an appreciation gift based on years of service and positional level

  • We have offered bonus time off

  • Our board determines the amount

  • Our overseers free up a certain amount of money to be given out for bonuses to which I make the final decision for each staff member

  • One week’s wage

  • Varies on staff. We try for 2 weeks

  • It’s usually a bit more than a week’s wage, and it’s given in October (pastor appreciation month)

  • We bonus what was tithed and expended and share equally. It is not much

  • We give an annual 2% Christmas bonus depending on the year. Occasional bonuses but not standardized. Above and beyond

  • $500 Christmas bonus. Ad hoc performance bonuses

  • Only $100

  • Usually one percent of annual salary

 

8. How does your 2021 annual income compare to 2020?

  • 48% Increased

  • 35% Stayed the same

  • 17% Decreased

 

9. How satisfied are you with your current salary package?

  • 26% Very Satisfied

  • 61% Satisfied

  • 13% Not satisfied

 

10. Does the staff provide you and your staff with medical insurance?

  • 50% Yes

  • 50% No

 

11. What is the insurance annual deductible and out of pocket maximum?

  • $3,000

  • Currently cash pay

  • We encourage share programs like Samaritan

  • $1,000/$5,000

  • $5,000

  • Deductible $4,000/$8,000 - offer $200 per month in HSA to help cover

  • $1,200/$11,000

  • $4,500

  • $10,000

  • We use Christian Healthcare Ministries

 

12. For insurance for your defendants, does the church:

  • 38% Covers the expense

  • 13% Offers as payroll deduction

  • 58% None provided

 

13. Does the church have dental insurance?

  • 38% Cover the expense

  • 8% Offer as a payroll deduction

  • 54% None provided

 

14. Do you receive a housing allowance as part of your salary package?

  • 100% Yes

 

15. Are you reimbursed for mileage?

  • 50% Yes

  • 50% No

 

16. Do you have a corporate vehicle provided to you by the church?

  • 17% Yes

  • 83% No

 

17. Is your cell phone expense covered by the church?

  • 50% Yes

  • 50% No

 

18. Does your church offer retirement to you and your staff?

  • 63% Yes

  • 38% No

 

19. Please explain:

  • Matching 2$ currently - Hope to grow to 6%

  • 403b - %5 match

  • Progressive plan based on years here % 1/1, 2/4, 3/6, 4/8, 5/10, 6/12

  • 12% of salary and housing

  • 6%

  • Matching up to 8%

  • Denomination contribute to retirement account

  • 10% is built into salary package

  • Matching up to 5% for pastoral staff member/ up to 10% for senior pastor

  • 5%

  • Pastors 3%

  • 1.5%

  • Church provides 10% salary to retirement

 

20. Does your church cover any other benefits?

  • Coaching and counseling as needed

  • Gym membership for staff and family

  • Aflac accident insurance, vision, dental, counseling (up to 10 sessions/year), life insurance, wellness reimbursement (up to $300 per year) financial counseling

  • Costco membership

  • Some educational expenses - reimbursable, confidential counseling

  • 100% gym membership for pastoral staff, 50% for other staff or part time

  • Catering staff lunches on regular basis or Starbucks or Dutch Bro runs for team

  • House cleaned for church events held at home

  • Continuing education

  • Education books, $2,000 coaching

  • Gas for church vehicle when used

  • Counseling for al staff member and their family

 

21. What are some ways you show value and appreciation to staff beyond their salary or bonus?

  • Gift cards

  • Bonuses

  • Nice treats

  • Flex schedules

  • Meals

  • Annual raises

  • Flex time off

  • Comp days

  • Office closed between Christmas and New Years

  • Intentional affirmation

  • Public recognition

  • Honoring employees at staff meetings

  • Extra time off

  • Sabbatical policy

  • Staff outings, staff parties, special all-staff days, random notes/gifts

  • Paid weekend away

  • Birthday bonus

  • Additional bonus

  • Recognition upon every five years of service

  • One month sabbatical offered every five years of service

  • Counseling for all staff members and their families

 

22. As the senior pastor, how many weeks of vacation do you receive per year?

  • 55% - 4-5 weeks

  • 30% - 3 weeks

  • 15% - 6 weeks to unlimited

 

23. How many weeks of vacation do you actually take per year?

  • 58% - 2-3 weeks

  • 26% - 4 weeks

  • 16% - 5 plus weeks

 

24. What is your churches vacation policy for employees and years of service?

*The following were the different options give; several responses were the same

  • None

  • Unlimited

  • 4 years for longer term of service

  • 2 weeks up to 5 years, 1 additional week each 5 year anniversary

  • 2 weeks, goes to 3-4 weeks after 5 years based on tenure

  • 3 weeks per year

  • 2 weeks minimum, additional week based on every 5 years of ministry

  • 4 weeks for ordained pastors, 4 weeks for senior pastor plus 2 weeks of study leave

  • 2 weeks for 1-2 years, 3 weeks for 3-5 years, 4 weeks for 6-9 years, 5 weeks for 10-13 years, 6 weeks for 14 or more years

  • 3 weeks 1-5 years, 5 weeks after 5 years

  • 2 weeks 3-5 years, 3 weeks 5-7 years, 5 weeks over 7 years

 

25. What is your church’s sabbatical policy for the senior and for other staff?

  • 53% None

  • 24% 7 years between 6-12 for full time pastors

  • 23% Other answers

    • Every 5 years for 3 months

    • 7 years 3 months senior pastor, 2 months for assistants and associate pastors

    • Every 5 years for 3 months for full time staff

    • Every 5 years for 1 month - 3 months max

 

26. How many years have you served in occupational ministry?

  • 10% - 10 years or less

  • 48% - 10-20 years

  • 24% - 20-30 years

  • 14% - 30 years plus

  • 5% - 50 years plus

 

27. How many sabbaticals have you taken in your ministry career?

  • 56% - 0

  • 28% - 1

  • 16% - 3 to 5

 

28. Do you have any other thoughts or ideas concerning salaries and benefits that would be helpful to other pastors here in our community?

  • Use a hiring agreement signed by the pastor

  • I’ve seen tenure and church growth as factors in raises to encourage ministry

  • 1) With the current labor shortage and the entry level hourly wage significantly increasing in the community we are reassessing our hourly employee’s wages with the goal of making a size-able raise in some cases to stay competitive. 2) Years of ministry experience plays a significant role in establishing a pastoral staff member’s salary. 3) We are not always able to pay the highest salaries, but our goal is to ensure it is a healthy, positive, and fun environment to work in.

  • Biggest thing is to be honest of cost of living, it’s a two-way street between the staff and their leadership/board

  • The more support the better because the work is demanding and they need paid breaks and enough pay to provide their needs