Career Explorer Community and social care
Changing shape
Clergy
Conduct religious worship and perform other spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination. Provide spiritual and moral guidance and assistance to members.
Changing faster than most: more resilient than 32% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is high (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it high), and US jobs are projected to change by +2.4% by 2035, slower than average. The work leans on emotional intelligence and creative vision.
AI can do many of the tasks, and hiring is expected to grow slower than average or to shrink. The job is likely to change, so build the human parts of it.
- Median pay (2025)
- $60,810
- Job growth to 2035
- +2.4%
- Openings a year
- 19,200
- People doing it (2025)
- 242,000
- Usual route in
- Bachelor's degree, then moderate on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Teach academic or vocational subjects
- Counsel others about personal matters
- Interpret language, cultural, or religious information for others
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Manage budgets or finances
- Train others on operational or work procedures
- Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures
What the work looks like
- Pray and promote spirituality.
- Prepare and deliver sermons or other talks.
- Read from sacred texts, such as the Bible, Torah, or Koran.
- Organize and lead regular religious services.
- Instruct people who seek conversion to a particular faith.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselorsGrows with AI, Index 83, +18.4%
- Community and social service specialists, all otherGrows with AI, Index 70, +5.5%
- Counselors, all otherGrows with AI, Index 69, +5.9%
- Religious workers, all otherChanging shape, Index 49, +1.5%
Also known as: Minister, Pastor, Priest, Rector, Bishop, Chaplain, Children's Minister, Imam.
Is this career on your child's list?
Build a free Career Playbook matched to your child, or get a 90-day Action Plan with dated next steps, written for your child by name.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.