---

Pastoral Counseling

Types of Degrees Pastoral Counseling Majors Are Earning

Those studying Pastoral Counseling may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	22
Associate’s Degree	47
Bachelor’s Degree	353
Master’s Degree	811
Doctor’s Degree	90

What Pastoral Counseling Majors Need to Know

Studies in Pastoral Counseling build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Pastoral Counseling graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Pastoral Counseling emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Philosophy and Theology — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Pastoral Counseling program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Pastoral Counseling careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Pastoral Counseling graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Pastoral Counseling professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
InteLext Past Masters	Data base user interface and query software	—
Gateway to Logic	Analytical or scientific software	—
Philosopher’s Information Center The Philosopher’s Index	Data base user interface and query software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Pastoral Counseling graduates include:

• Religious Educator
• Philosophy Instructor
• Metaphysics Teacher
• Philosophy Faculty Member
• Systematic Theology Professor
• Online Philosophy Instructor
• Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Religion Professor
• Philosophy Professor
• Philosophy Specialist
• Divinity Teacher
• Religious Studies Teacher
• Adjunct Philosophy Professor
• Philosophy Adjunct Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Pastoral Counseling graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	57.8%
Master’s degree	13.3%
Bachelor’s degree	10.8%
Post-doctoral training	9.8%
Postsecondary certificate	4.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.5%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
Some college courses	0.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Pastoral Counseling?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 47.5% women and 52.5% men among Pastoral Counseling graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	628	47.5%
Men	695	52.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Pastoral Counseling graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	672	50.8%
Asian	67	5.1%
Hispanic or Latino	242	18.3%
Black or African American	179	13.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.2%
Two or More Races	20	1.5%
Race Unknown	75	5.7%
International Students	61	4.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Pastoral Counseling Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Pastoral Counseling graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$37,962
4 years	$41,537
5 years	$44,763

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $44,763 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Pastoral Counseling Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Pastoral Counseling. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	8	1
Bachelor’s	19	14
Master’s	26	17
Doctoral (Research)	3	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Pastoral Counseling Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Pastoral Counseling graduates earn a median of $41,537 four years after completion — roughly 9% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries	39.07
Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studies	39.0706
Lay Ministry	39.0705
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, Other	39.0799
Urban Ministry	39.0703
Women’s Ministry	39.0704
Youth Ministry	39.0702
Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other	39.0699
Bible/Biblical Studies	39.0201
Divinity/Ministry	39.0602
Missions/Missionary Studies	39.0301
Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies	39.0604

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.