Best Religious Worker, All Other programs in California, ranked by enrollment
All religious workers not listed.
27 schools in California run programs that feed this job, graduating 467 people a year. The job pays a median of $45,440 in California across about 1,390 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in California that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
7 programs in California that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in California (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own California page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 39.0699In California → | 247 | 52.9% | 16 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 2 | CIP 39.0701In California → | 134 | 28.7% | 12 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 3 | CIP 39.0799In California → | 50 | 10.7% | 3 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 4 | CIP 39.0705In California → | 24 | 5.1% | 1 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 5 | CIP 39.0704In California → | 7 | 1.5% | 1 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 6 | CIP 39.0706In California → | 4 | 0.9% | 1 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 7 | CIP 30.2502In California → | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | $41,362 | $17,750 |
Top 25 schools in California
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 2 of the 27 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fuller Theological Seminary Pasadena, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 112 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | The Master's University and Seminary Santa Clarita, CA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 85 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | 68% | $30,641 | 84% |
| 3 | Biola University La Mirada, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 67 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | 68% | $26,727 | 74% |
| 4 | World Mission University Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 41 | Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, Other | — | 100% | $16,598 | — |
| 5 | Life Pacific University San Dimas, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | $37,436 | 40% | $23,832 | 96% |
| 6 | Vanguard University of Southern California Costa Mesa, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | 57% | $18,716 | 62% |
| 7 | Hope International University Fullerton, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | 49% | $32,826 | 33% |
| 8 | California Baptist University Riverside, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | 62% | $26,940 | 85% |
| 9 | Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | 79% | $36,488 | 45% |
| 10 | Southern California Seminary El Cajon, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | 50% | — | — |
| 11 | Institute of Buddhist Studies Berkeley, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | William Jessup University Rocklin, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | $47,102 | 56% | $24,242 | 93% |
| 13 | Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | 50% | $14,298 | 64% |
| 14 | SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary El Dorado Hills, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | 85% | $21,043 | 41% |
| 15 | University of the West Rosemead, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 7 | Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studies | — | 38% | $14,162 | 100% |
| 16 | California Prestige University Santa Fe Springs, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 4 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | — | — | — |
| 17 | Grace Mission University Fullerton, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | 100% | — | — |
| 18 | Pepperdine University Malibu, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | 83% | $41,986 | 63% |
| 19 | Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | 77% | $48,795 | 84% |
| 20 | Academy for Jewish Religion California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | — | — | — |
| 21 | America Evangelical University Gardena, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | 33% | $23,897 | — |
| 22 | Church Divinity School of the Pacific Berkeley, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | — | — | — |
| 23 | Epic Bible College & Graduate School Sacramento, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | 0% | — | — |
| 24 | Pacific School of Religion Berkeley, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | — | — | — |
| 25 | Pitzer College Claremont, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Contemplative Studies/Inquiry | — | 83% | $23,248 | 25% |
All 27 schools in California
Every school in California with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuller Theological Seminary | Pasadena | Private not-for-profit | 112 | 1 |
| The Master's University and Seminary | Santa Clarita | Private not-for-profit | 85 | 4 |
| Biola University | La Mirada | Private not-for-profit | 67 | 2 |
| World Mission University | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 41 | 3 |
| Life Pacific University | San Dimas | Private not-for-profit | 23 | 1 |
| Vanguard University of Southern California | Costa Mesa | Private not-for-profit | 20 | 1 |
| Hope International University | Fullerton | Private not-for-profit | 19 | 1 |
| California Baptist University | Riverside | Private not-for-profit | 15 | 1 |
| Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 10 | 1 |
| Southern California Seminary | El Cajon | Private not-for-profit | 10 | 1 |
| Institute of Buddhist Studies | Berkeley | Private not-for-profit | 9 | 1 |
| William Jessup University | Rocklin | Private not-for-profit | 9 | 1 |
| Fresno Pacific University | Fresno | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 1 |
| SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary | El Dorado Hills | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 1 |
| University of the West | Rosemead | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 2 |
What religious workers, all other earn in California
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $45,280. California pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in California
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Religious Workers, All Other page.
How to become a Religious Worker, All Other
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 13 majors mapped to Religious Workers, All Other11 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 30.2502Contemplative Studies/Inquiry
- 30.5301Thanatology
- 39.0302Church Planting
- 39.0399Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology, Other(no graduates reported)
- 39.0599Religious Music and Worship, Other
- 39.0699Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other
- 39.0701Pastoral Studies/Counseling
- 39.0703Urban Ministry
- 39.0704Women's Ministry
- 39.0705Lay Ministry
- 39.0706Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studies
- 39.0799Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, Other
- 39.0802Religious/Canon Law(no graduates reported)
Common questions
Answers for people weighing religious workers, all other programs in California.
What degree do you need to become a Religious Worker, All Other?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other, which awarded 247 degrees in California in 2024-25, 52.9% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Religious Worker, All Other?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Theological and Ministerial Studies, Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, Cognitive Science. Together they graduate about 467 people a year in California.
How much do religious workers, all other earn in California?+
The median is $45,440 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 0.4% above the U.S. median of $45,280. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for religious workers, all other growing?+
BLS projects a +0.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 11,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in California?+
27 institutions in California reported graduates from at least one of the 7 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
Do you need training or experience beyond a degree?+
BLS lists 'None' for related work experience and 'None' for on-the-job training typically needed to reach competency.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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