Best member of the clergy programs in North Carolina, ranked by enrollment
Conduct religious worship and perform other spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination.
16 schools in North Carolina run programs that feed this job, graduating 751 people a year. The job pays a median of $59,600 in North Carolina across about 1,430 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in North Carolina that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
7 programs in North Carolina that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in North Carolina (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 North Carolina page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Divinity/Ministrymain feeder CIP 39.0602In North Carolina → | 397 | 52.9% | 11 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 2 | Theology/Theological Studiesmain feeder CIP 39.0601In North Carolina → | 296 | 39.4% | 6 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 3 | CIP 51.1506In North Carolina → | 22 | 2.9% | 1 | $37,335 | $22,861 |
| 4 | Pastoral Studies/Counselingmain feeder CIP 39.0701In North Carolina → | 13 | 1.7% | 3 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 5 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Othermain feeder CIP 39.0699In North Carolina → | 10 | 1.3% | 2 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 6 | Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studiesmain feeder CIP 39.0604In North Carolina → | 7 | 0.9% | 3 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 7 | Youth Ministrymain feeder CIP 39.0702In North Carolina → | 6 | 0.8% | 2 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
Top 16 schools in North Carolina
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 0 of the 16 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest, NC Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 303 | Divinity/Ministry | — | 58% | $6,608 | 75% |
| 2 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 212 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | 97% | $16,260 | 6% |
| 3 | Shepherds Theological Seminary Cary, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 56 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | Carolina University Winston-Salem, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 37 | Divinity/Ministry | — | 22% | $19,450 | 40% |
| 5 | Manna University Fayetteville, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 24 | Divinity/Ministry | — | 80% | $20,171 | 53% |
| 6 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Divinity/Ministry | — | 89% | $20,914 | 22% |
| 7 | Hood Theological Seminary Salisbury, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Campbell University Buies Creek, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Divinity/Ministry | — | 61% | $23,331 | 87% |
| 9 | Gardner - Webb University Boiling Springs, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 17 | Divinity/Ministry | — | 55% | $22,863 | 77% |
| 10 | Shaw University Raleigh, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | 22% | $16,542 | 80% |
| 11 | Lenoir - Rhyne University Hickory, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Divinity/Ministry | — | 48% | $23,920 | 85% |
| 12 | Carolina College of Biblical Studies Fayetteville, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 7 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | 0% | $18,745 | — |
| 13 | Belmont Abbey College Belmont, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | 47% | $22,639 | 75% |
| 14 | Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary Charlotte, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Mid - Atlantic Christian University Elizabeth City, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 4 | Youth Ministry | — | 21% | $25,800 | 62% |
| 16 | Montreat College Montreat, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies | — | 50% | $25,763 | 69% |
All 16 schools in North Carolina
Every school in North Carolina 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary | Wake Forest | Private not-for-profit | 303 | 6 |
| Duke University | Durham | Private not-for-profit | 212 | 2 |
| Shepherds Theological Seminary | Cary | Private not-for-profit | 56 | 2 |
| Carolina University | Winston-Salem | Private not-for-profit | 37 | 1 |
| Manna University | Fayetteville | Private not-for-profit | 24 | 2 |
| Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem | Private not-for-profit | 20 | 1 |
| Hood Theological Seminary | Salisbury | Private not-for-profit | 19 | 1 |
| Campbell University | Buies Creek | Private not-for-profit | 17 | 1 |
| Gardner - Webb University | Boiling Springs | Private not-for-profit | 17 | 2 |
| Shaw University | Raleigh | Private not-for-profit | 12 | 2 |
| Lenoir - Rhyne University | Hickory | Private not-for-profit | 10 | 1 |
| Carolina College of Biblical Studies | Fayetteville | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 2 |
| Belmont Abbey College | Belmont | Private not-for-profit | 6 | 1 |
| Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary | Charlotte | Private not-for-profit | 4 | 1 |
| Mid - Atlantic Christian University | Elizabeth City | Private not-for-profit | 4 | 2 |
What clergy earn in North Carolina
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $60,810. North Carolina pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in North Carolina
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 Clergy page.
How to become a member of the clergy
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in North Carolina
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 9 majors mapped to Clergy9 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 39.0601Theology/Theological Studies
- 39.0602Divinity/Ministry
- 39.0604Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies
- 39.0605Rabbinical Studies
- 39.0699Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other
- 39.0701Pastoral Studies/Counseling
- 39.0702Youth Ministry
- 39.0706Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studies
- 51.1506Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling
Common questions
Answers for people weighing clergy programs in North Carolina.
What degree do you need to become a member of the clergy?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Divinity/Ministry, which awarded 397 degrees in North Carolina in 2024-25, 52.9% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a member of the clergy?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Theological and Ministerial Studies, Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries. Together they graduate about 751 people a year in North Carolina.
How much do clergy earn in North Carolina?+
The median is $59,600 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 2.0% below the U.S. median of $60,810. 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 clergy growing?+
BLS projects a +1.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 23,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in North Carolina?+
16 institutions in North Carolina 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.
What other job titles do clergy work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Pastor, Priest, Rector, Minister among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 21-2011.
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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