Average SBC senior pastor pay: $56,845
What's so hard about that?
Don't like it or don't believe it? Then argue with GuideStone whose 2010 Southern Baptist Convention Compensation Study is easy to understand and use.
I admit to a bit of despair over people arguing with me on the housing allowance discussions that the figure is meaningless, irrelevant, or that people make more than the average and bring up those who make lower. For crying out loud, that is why we call it an average.
Don't like it or don't believe it? Then argue with GuideStone whose 2010 Southern Baptist Convention Compensation Study is easy to understand and use.
I admit to a bit of despair over people arguing with me on the housing allowance discussions that the figure is meaningless, irrelevant, or that people make more than the average and bring up those who make lower. For crying out loud, that is why we call it an average.
The sum of $56,845 is for all full time senior pastors who responded to the survey in states where almost all of the SBC churches are located. It is what was reported as salary payments, housing allowance payments, and fair rental value of church owned housing but not including retirement or insurance payments.The figure does not include accountable reimbursement payments or what is generally called automobile allowance.
The figure is an average, the mathematical mean - sum up all of the respondants and divide by the number (there were over 3,000 respondents). It doesn't matter if you don't make this much or if you don't know anyone who makes this much. It is an average.
We are not all that poorly paid, on average.
For those senior pastors who live in church owned housing, it is appropriate to include the fair rental value as part of his compensation. Five years ago I would have said that including the fair rental value gave a distorted result, since living in a pastorium was a liability in the sense that the pastor is forced to forego building equity in his own home. Building equity in real estate? What a quaint thought.
The average teacher salary in my state, Georgia, is $52,815.
The average registered nurse salary in my state is about $61,000.
The average police officer pay is just under $50,000.
For those who think we are worth more, I don't disagree but would simply say that market forces are at work for us just like everyone else.
Answer this: Do you know of a church that needs a pastor and is offering a compensation package near the SBC average? How many viable candidates are available to that church? Probably dozens and dozens, ministers figuratively lining up to be considered. If a church has a thick stack of resumes there is not much incentive to increase the compensation package. The pastor candidate who asks for a good sum above the average will likely not find a receptive committee.
Perhaps Obama could issue an executive order that repealw the law of supply and demand.
Of course our $56,845 annual salary doesn't include intangibles such as being loved and appreciated by everyone.
Oh, one note from the compensation study:
Not all news is bad news.
There is, however, a sobering reality about SBC pastor pay. It is a fact that is simple and obvious but probably not talked about too much. I will cover that tomorrow.
For those senior pastors who live in church owned housing, it is appropriate to include the fair rental value as part of his compensation. Five years ago I would have said that including the fair rental value gave a distorted result, since living in a pastorium was a liability in the sense that the pastor is forced to forego building equity in his own home. Building equity in real estate? What a quaint thought.
The average teacher salary in my state, Georgia, is $52,815.
The average registered nurse salary in my state is about $61,000.
The average police officer pay is just under $50,000.
For those who think we are worth more, I don't disagree but would simply say that market forces are at work for us just like everyone else.
Answer this: Do you know of a church that needs a pastor and is offering a compensation package near the SBC average? How many viable candidates are available to that church? Probably dozens and dozens, ministers figuratively lining up to be considered. If a church has a thick stack of resumes there is not much incentive to increase the compensation package. The pastor candidate who asks for a good sum above the average will likely not find a receptive committee.
Perhaps Obama could issue an executive order that repealw the law of supply and demand.
Of course our $56,845 annual salary doesn't include intangibles such as being loved and appreciated by everyone.
Oh, one note from the compensation study:
Over the past 16 years, this study has been conducted every two years...It should also be noted that over the 16 years this study has been compiled, compensation for ministers and church has increased at a rate higher than the rate of inflation.
Not all news is bad news.
There is, however, a sobering reality about SBC pastor pay. It is a fact that is simple and obvious but probably not talked about too much. I will cover that tomorrow.
