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
- -5%
- 2024→2025
- $98,310
- Top 10% earn
- +2.1%
- Growth '24–'34
- 22,160
- Estimated US jobs
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 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is Alabama ($79,310).
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 2034.
- $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.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Directors, Religious Activities and Education moved from $43,860 in May 2019 to $52,100 in May 2025 (+18.8%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Directors, Religious Activities and Education sits -5.7 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Directors, Religious Activities and Education (SOC 21-2021) has a national median of $52,100 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $34,670 to $98,310, and the published mean is $62,100. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 22,160 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 43 state or territory areas and 103 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $54,840 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $52,100 in May 2025, a fall of $2,740 (-5%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +2.1% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as about as fast as average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 13,800 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry and less than 5 years as the typical related-work-experience category. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Community and Social Service Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
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 highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA at $93,120. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
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.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 (this entry) | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$52,100 · 37th percentile of 825 US occupations
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).
Read the chart as text
- Substance Abuse, Beh…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 16.8%, Median annual wage $59350
- Social and Human Ser…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.4%, Median annual wage $45930
- Child, Family, and S…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $59550
- Educational, Guidanc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $64330
- Healthcare Social Wo…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7.7%, Median annual wage $67880
- Mental Health and Su…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 9.7%, Median annual wage $60280
- Community and Social…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.6%, Median annual wage $56730
- Rehabilitation Couns…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.4%, Median annual wage $46850
- Probation Officers a…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.6%, Median annual wage $66270
- Marriage and Family …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.6%, Median annual wage $66940
- Health Education Spe…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.5%, Median annual wage $64070
- Social Workers, All …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.9%, Median annual wage $71900
- Community Health Wor…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 11.3%, Median annual wage $51850
- Clergy: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1%, Median annual wage $60810
- Counselors, All Other: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.6%, Median annual wage $50860
- Directors, Religious…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.1%, Median annual wage $52100
- Religious Workers, A…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $45280
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+2.1%
About as fast as average
Annual Openings
13,800
per year (projected)
Employment Change
+2,900
138,900 (2024) → 141,800 (2034)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Work Experience
Less than 5 years
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Community and Social Service Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
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
Directors, Religious Activities and Education pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $38,780 |
| 2016 | $38,610 |
| 2017 | $38,980 |
| 2018 | $40,810 |
| 2019 | $43,860 |
| 2020 | $45,110 |
| 2021 | $46,980 |
| 2022 | $49,380 |
| 2023 | $50,140 |
| 2024 | $54,840 |
| 2025 | $52,100 |
2015 median
$38,780
2025 median
$52,100
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$8,240 (+18.8%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+2.9%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $38,780 | First banked release | 20,280 |
| May 2016 | $38,610 | -0.4% | 20,590 |
| May 2017 | $38,980 | +1.0% | 21,430 |
| May 2018 | $40,810 | +4.7% | 21,700 |
| May 2019 | $43,860 | Classification break | 21,820 |
| May 2020 | $45,110 | +2.8% | 19,860 |
| May 2021 | $46,980 | +4.1% | 21,000 |
| May 2022 | $49,380 | +5.1% | 24,030 |
| May 2023 | $50,140 | +1.5% | 23,270 |
| May 2024 | $54,840 | +9.4% | 21,460 |
| May 2025 | $52,100 | -5.0% | 22,160 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $38,780 in May 2015 to $52,100 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +2.9% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 21,820 in May 2019 to 22,160 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
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 85 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 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $68,040 | +31% above national |
| 8 | Colorado Springs, CO | $66,950 | +29% above national |
| 9 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $66,140 | +27% above national |
| 10 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $64,340 | +23% above national |
| 11 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $63,650 | +22% above national |
| 12 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $63,490 | +22% above national |
| 13 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $63,450 | +22% above national |
| 14 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $62,460 | +20% above national |
| 15 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $62,390 | +20% above national |
| 16 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $60,650 | +16% above national |
| 17 | Fresno, CA | $59,720 | +15% above national |
| 18 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $59,320 | +14% above national |
| 19 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $59,170 | +14% above national |
| 20 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $59,010 | +13% above national |
| 21 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $58,610 | +12% above national |
| 22 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $58,490 | +12% above national |
| 23 | Peoria, IL | $58,300 | +12% above national |
| 24 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $57,760 | +11% above national |
| 25 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $57,140 | +10% above national |
| 26 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $56,870 | +9% above national |
| 27 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $56,550 | +9% above national |
| 28 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $56,480 | +8% above national |
| 29 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $56,470 | +8% above national |
| 30 | Oklahoma City, OK | $55,780 | +7% above national |
| 31 | Lancaster, PA | $54,990 | +6% above national |
| 32 | Pittsburgh, PA | $54,130 | +4% above national |
| 33 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $52,560 | +1% above national |
| 34 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $52,460 | +1% above national |
| 35 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $51,540 | 1% below national |
| 36 | Saginaw, MI | $51,450 | 1% below national |
| 37 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $51,070 | 2% below national |
| 38 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $50,820 | 2% below national |
| 39 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $50,230 | 4% below national |
| 40 | Evansville, IN | $49,770 | 4% below national |
| 41 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $49,730 | 5% below national |
| 42 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $49,700 | 5% below national |
| 43 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $49,490 | 5% below national |
| 44 | Ann Arbor, MI | $49,270 | 5% below national |
| 45 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $49,170 | 6% below national |
| 46 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $49,020 | 6% below national |
| 47 | Jacksonville, FL | $48,930 | 6% below national |
| 48 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $48,800 | 6% below national |
| 49 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $48,780 | 6% below national |
| 50 | Bozeman, MT | $48,720 | 6% below national |
| 51 | Syracuse, NY | $48,660 | 7% below national |
| 52 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $48,590 | 7% below national |
| 53 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $48,480 | 7% below national |
| 54 | Columbus, OH | $48,470 | 7% below national |
| 55 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $48,050 | 8% below national |
| 56 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $47,620 | 9% below national |
| 57 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $47,590 | 9% below national |
| 58 | Modesto, CA | $47,110 | 10% below national |
| 59 | Salem, OR | $46,840 | 10% below national |
| 60 | Bend, OR | $46,450 | 11% below national |
| 61 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $46,420 | 11% below national |
| 62 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $46,350 | 11% below national |
| 63 | New Haven, CT | $46,120 | 11% below national |
| 64 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $46,110 | 11% below national |
| 65 | Albany, OR | $45,960 | 12% below national |
| 66 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $45,950 | 12% below national |
| 67 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $45,770 | 12% below national |
| 68 | Helena, MT | $45,170 | 13% below national |
| 69 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $45,170 | 13% below national |
| 70 | Billings, MT | $44,650 | 14% below national |
| 71 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $44,370 | 15% below national |
| 72 | Rochester, NY | $44,340 | 15% below national |
| 73 | Medford, OR | $44,240 | 15% below national |
| 74 | Corvallis, OR | $43,170 | 17% below national |
| 75 | Flint, MI | $42,460 | 19% below national |
| 76 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $41,630 | 20% below national |
| 77 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $41,460 | 20% below national |
| 78 | Great Falls, MT | $39,750 | 24% below national |
| 79 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $39,560 | 24% below national |
| 80 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $39,500 | 24% below national |
| 81 | Columbia, SC | $39,210 | 25% below national |
| 82 | Binghamton, NY | $37,710 | 28% below national |
| 83 | Missoula, MT | $37,390 | 28% below national |
| 84 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $36,020 | 31% below national |
| 85 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $33,920 | 35% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 21 (Community and Social Service Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
SOC 21-1021
Clergy
SOC 21-2011
Community Health Workers
SOC 21-1094
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other
SOC 21-1099
Counselors, All Other
SOC 21-1019
Showing 5 of 16 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Community and Social Service Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($52,100 here) and reported employment (22,160 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Directors, Religious Activities and Education make? ▼
Where does Directors, Religious Activities and Education pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Directors, Religious Activities and Education the most? ▼
What education do Directors, Religious Activities and Education need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for 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
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $73,730/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. 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.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
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.