Pastoral Specialized Ministries

Types of Degrees Pastoral Specialized Ministries Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many pastoral counseling and specialized ministries graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,191
Bachelor’s Degree	1,115
Doctor’s Degree	254
Associate Degree	221
Graduate Certificate	179
Basic Certificate	104
Undergraduate Certificate	52

What Pastoral Specialized Ministries Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to pastoral counseling and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Pastoral Counseling Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in pastoral counseling should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• 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.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 for Pastoral Counseling Majors

A major in pastoral counseling prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• 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.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Abilities for Pastoral Counseling Majors

Pastoral Counseling majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Pastoral Specialized Ministries Major?

People with a pastoral counseling degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Clergy	8.2%	$48,990
Directors, Religious Activities and Education	7.1%	$40,810
Philosophy and Religion Professors	12.3%	$71,890
Religious Workers	7.7%	$29,820

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Pastoral Specialized Ministries?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 1,115 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in pastoral counseling and specialized ministries in 2021, making it rank #161 in popularity. This major tends to be male dominated. About 57% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of pastoral counseling majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	43
Black or African American	81
Hispanic or Latino	105
White	787
International Students	13
Other Races/Ethnicities	86

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Pastoral Counseling. About 1.2% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• South Korea
• Canada
• China
• Vietnam
• India

How Much Do Pastoral Specialized Ministries Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that pastoral counseling and specialized ministries students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $26,666 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $24,357 (25th percentile) and $29,094 (75th percentile).

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to pastoral counseling.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $35,860 to $53,290 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to pastoral counseling. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Pastoral Specialized Ministries

Some degrees associated with pastoral counseling may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to pastoral counseling have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	2.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	36.2%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	2.8%
Master’s Degree	30.0%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.2%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.1%
Doctoral Degree	24.2%
Post-Doctoral Training	4.0%

Online Pastoral Specialized Ministries Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 278 schools offered some type of pastoral counseling and specialized ministries program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	16	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	9	3
Associate’s Degree	40	16
Bachelor’s Degree	47	8
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	187	42
Post-Master’s	6	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	22	7
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	8	1
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	15	1

Is a Degree in Pastoral Specialized Ministries Worth It?

The median salary for a pastoral counseling grad is $46,980 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 18% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $141,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Pastoral Specialized Ministries

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to pastoral counseling.

Major	Number of Grads
Theological & Ministerial Studies	15,832
Biblical Studies	4,119
Religious Education	1,417
Missionary Studies	1,220
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other)	1,166
Sacred Music	554
Religious Institution Administration and Law	35

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.