21 Series · SOC 21-2021
Directors, Religious Activities and Education Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $52,100
- Median / year
- $98,310
- Top 10% earn
- +2.1%
- Growth '23–'33
- 22,160
- US workers
Directors, Religious Activities and Education earn a median of $52,100 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $52,100, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $34,670 (10th percentile) to $98,310 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 22,160 US workers. Alabama pays the most ($79,310), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Directors, Religious Activities and Education earn a median of $52,100, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 37% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Community and Social Service, it ranks #12 of 17 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 2.1% by 2033.
- $52,100
- Median annual wage
- Top 63%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #12 of 17
- in Community and Social Service
- 2.8×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Alabama at $79,310. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Directors, Religious Activities and Education (SOC 21-2021) pays a national median of $52,100 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $34,670 at the 10th percentile to $98,310 at the 90th, with a mean of $62,100 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 22,160 Americans work in this occupation across 43 reporting states and 103 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +2.1% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 13,800 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree, with less than 5 years of prior experience generally required. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.3 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Alabama pays the highest state median at $79,310, which is +52% above the national figure. The top metro is Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA at $93,120 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$52,100
per year
Median Hourly
$25.05/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$62,100
average
Employment
22,160
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Directors, Religious Activities and Education pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$52,100 Bottom 37% higher than 37% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 21-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Directors, Religious Activities and Education; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 17 21-series occupations with growth data, Directors, Religious Activities and Education sits on the slower-growing side at +2.1% growth and $52,100 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+2.1%
Slower than average
Annual Openings
13,800
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Work Experience
Less than 5 years
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.3/100K
Injury Rate
0.5/100
Danger Index
2.2/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Directors, Religious Activities and Education roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Develop or direct study courses or religious education programs within congregations.
- ▸ Identify and recruit potential volunteer workers.
- ▸ Select appropriate curricula or class structures for educational programs.
- ▸ Schedule special events, such as camps, conferences, meetings, seminars, or retreats.
- ▸ Counsel individuals regarding interpersonal, health, financial, or religious problems.
- ▸ Collaborate with other ministry members to establish goals and objectives for religious education programs or to develop ways to encourage program participation.
- ▸ Train and supervise religious education instructional staff.
- ▸ Implement program plans by ordering needed materials, scheduling speakers, reserving space, or handling other administrative details.
- ▸ Analyze member participation or changes in congregational emphasis to determine needs for religious education.
- ▸ Analyze revenue and program cost data to determine budget priorities.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$34,670
25th Percentile
$44,010
Median
$52,100
75th Percentile
$73,730
90th Percentile
$98,310
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 43 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | $79,310 | +52% above national |
| 2 | Texas | $75,420 | +45% above national |
| 3 | Georgia | $72,910 | +40% above national |
| 4 | Nebraska | $72,500 | +39% above national |
| 5 | Colorado | $67,760 | +30% above national |
| 6 | Iowa | $66,140 | +27% above national |
| 7 | New Jersey | $65,730 | +26% above national |
| 8 | North Carolina | $63,280 | +21% above national |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $62,930 | +21% above national |
| 10 | Nevada | $62,460 | +20% above national |
| 11 | Tennessee | $61,940 | +19% above national |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $61,870 | +19% above national |
| 13 | California | $61,570 | +18% above national |
| 14 | Virginia | $59,020 | +13% above national |
| 15 | Maryland | $58,820 | +13% above national |
| 16 | Indiana | $58,490 | +12% above national |
| 17 | Arizona | $57,140 | +10% above national |
| 18 | Utah | $56,790 | +9% above national |
| 19 | Washington | $56,480 | +8% above national |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $55,510 | +7% above national |
| 21 | Illinois | $53,600 | +3% above national |
| 22 | South Dakota | $53,360 | +2% above national |
| 23 | Missouri | $52,980 | +2% above national |
| 24 | Kentucky | $52,230 | same as national |
| 25 | Minnesota | $50,110 | 4% below national |
| 26 | New York | $49,990 | 4% below national |
| 27 | Mississippi | $49,430 | 5% below national |
| 28 | Ohio | $49,340 | 5% below national |
| 29 | Florida | $49,230 | 6% below national |
| 30 | New Mexico | $48,240 | 7% below national |
| 31 | Connecticut | $47,850 | 8% below national |
| 32 | Hawaii | $47,590 | 9% below national |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $47,100 | 10% below national |
| 34 | Kansas | $45,640 | 12% below national |
| 35 | Michigan | $45,590 | 12% below national |
| 36 | Oregon | $45,360 | 13% below national |
| 37 | Montana | $45,220 | 13% below national |
| 38 | Idaho | $44,990 | 14% below national |
| 39 | Rhode Island | $44,770 | 14% below national |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $40,180 | 23% below national |
| 41 | South Carolina | $36,120 | 31% below national |
| 42 | Arkansas | $33,920 | 35% below national |
| 43 | Louisiana | $29,540 | 43% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 103 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $93,120 | +79% above national |
| 2 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $84,650 | +62% above national |
| 3 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $83,480 | +60% above national |
| 4 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $83,260 | +60% above national |
| 5 | Richmond, VA | $77,020 | +48% above national |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $75,420 | +45% above national |
| 7 | Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $72,880 | +40% above national |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $68,040 | +31% above national |
| 9 | Colorado Springs, CO | $66,950 | +29% above national |
| 10 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $66,140 | +27% above national |
| 11 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $64,340 | +23% above national |
| 12 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $63,650 | +22% above national |
| 13 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $63,490 | +22% above national |
| 14 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $63,450 | +22% above national |
| 15 | Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $62,780 | +20% above national |
| 16 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $62,460 | +20% above national |
| 17 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $62,390 | +20% above national |
| 18 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $60,650 | +16% above national |
| 19 | Fresno, CA | $59,720 | +15% above national |
| 20 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $59,320 | +14% above national |
| 21 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $59,170 | +14% above national |
| 22 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $59,010 | +13% above national |
| 23 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $58,610 | +12% above national |
| 24 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $58,490 | +12% above national |
| 25 | Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $58,350 | +12% above national |
| 26 | Peoria, IL | $58,300 | +12% above national |
| 27 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $57,760 | +11% above national |
| 28 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $57,140 | +10% above national |
| 29 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $56,870 | +9% above national |
| 30 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $56,550 | +9% above national |
| 31 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $56,480 | +8% above national |
| 32 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $56,470 | +8% above national |
| 33 | Oklahoma City, OK | $55,780 | +7% above national |
| 34 | West Montana nonmetropolitan area | $55,420 | +6% above national |
| 35 | Lancaster, PA | $54,990 | +6% above national |
| 36 | Pittsburgh, PA | $54,130 | +4% above national |
| 37 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $53,260 | +2% above national |
| 38 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $52,560 | +1% above national |
| 39 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $52,460 | +1% above national |
| 40 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $51,540 | 1% below national |
| 41 | Saginaw, MI | $51,450 | 1% below national |
| 42 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $51,070 | 2% below national |
| 43 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $50,820 | 2% below national |
| 44 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $50,230 | 4% below national |
| 45 | Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $50,010 | 4% below national |
| 46 | Evansville, IN | $49,770 | 4% below national |
| 47 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $49,730 | 5% below national |
| 48 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $49,700 | 5% below national |
| 49 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $49,490 | 5% below national |
| 50 | Ann Arbor, MI | $49,270 | 5% below national |
| 51 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $49,170 | 6% below national |
| 52 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $49,020 | 6% below national |
| 53 | Jacksonville, FL | $48,930 | 6% below national |
| 54 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $48,800 | 6% below national |
| 55 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $48,780 | 6% below national |
| 56 | Bozeman, MT | $48,720 | 6% below national |
| 57 | Syracuse, NY | $48,660 | 7% below national |
| 58 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $48,590 | 7% below national |
| 59 | Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $48,580 | 7% below national |
| 60 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $48,480 | 7% below national |
| 61 | Columbus, OH | $48,470 | 7% below national |
| 62 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $48,050 | 8% below national |
| 63 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $47,620 | 9% below national |
| 64 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $47,590 | 9% below national |
| 65 | Modesto, CA | $47,110 | 10% below national |
| 66 | Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $46,880 | 10% below national |
| 67 | Salem, OR | $46,840 | 10% below national |
| 68 | Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $46,810 | 10% below national |
| 69 | Bend, OR | $46,450 | 11% below national |
| 70 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $46,420 | 11% below national |
| 71 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $46,350 | 11% below national |
| 72 | West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $46,330 | 11% below national |
| 73 | New Haven, CT | $46,120 | 11% below national |
| 74 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $46,110 | 11% below national |
| 75 | Albany, OR | $45,960 | 12% below national |
| 76 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $45,950 | 12% below national |
| 77 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $45,770 | 12% below national |
| 78 | Helena, MT | $45,170 | 13% below national |
| 79 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $45,170 | 13% below national |
| 80 | Billings, MT | $44,650 | 14% below national |
| 81 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $44,370 | 15% below national |
| 82 | Rochester, NY | $44,340 | 15% below national |
| 83 | Medford, OR | $44,240 | 15% below national |
| 84 | Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $44,060 | 15% below national |
| 85 | Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $43,920 | 16% below national |
| 86 | Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $43,180 | 17% below national |
| 87 | Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $43,180 | 17% below national |
| 88 | Corvallis, OR | $43,170 | 17% below national |
| 89 | Flint, MI | $42,460 | 19% below national |
| 90 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $41,770 | 20% below national |
| 91 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $41,630 | 20% below national |
| 92 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $41,460 | 20% below national |
| 93 | Great Falls, MT | $39,750 | 24% below national |
| 94 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $39,560 | 24% below national |
| 95 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $39,500 | 24% below national |
| 96 | East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area | $39,300 | 25% below national |
| 97 | Columbia, SC | $39,210 | 25% below national |
| 98 | Binghamton, NY | $37,710 | 28% below national |
| 99 | Missoula, MT | $37,390 | 28% below national |
| 100 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $36,020 | 31% below national |
| 101 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $33,920 | 35% below national |
| 102 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $33,840 | 35% below national |
| 103 | Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $33,170 | 36% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 21 (community and social service) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Directors, Religious Activities and Education make? ▼
What state pays Directors, Religious Activities and Education the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Directors, Religious Activities and Education? ▼
How dangerous is being a Directors, Religious Activities and Education? ▼
Is Directors, Religious Activities and Education a good career? ▼
How does Directors, Religious Activities and Education pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Directors, Religious Activities and Education? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Directors, Religious Activities and Education pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $73,730/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Alabama leads at $79,310/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.