Clergy Salary
Clergies in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA make a median of $65,710 a year, or about $31.59 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $104K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $62,332 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 44.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About clergies
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What this looks like in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Clergy pay in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro tracks closely to the national median, $66K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,922/month, which is 46.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for clergies in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Salem | $78K | $75K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $61K | $60K |
| Bend | $60K | $58K |
| Medford | $62K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level clergies (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $104K or more, a $66K spread from bottom to top.
Clergy pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Clergy salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $81K | +33% | 1,060 |
| California | $78K | +28% | 7,110 |
| Nevada | $74K | +22% | 210 |
| Massachusetts | $72K | +19% | 840 |
| New Jersey | $66K | +8% | 1,460 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | +7% | 100 |
| Vermont | $65K | +7% | 50 |
| District of Columbia | $65K | +7% | 310 |
| Maine | $64K | +6% | 160 |
| New Mexico | $64K | +5% | 270 |
| Colorado | $64K | +5% | 440 |
| Connecticut | $63K | +4% | 900 |
| Delaware | $63K | +4% | 120 |
| Oregon | $63K | +4% | 3,850 |
| Arizona | $62K | +2% | 1,070 |
| Illinois | $62K | +2% | 2,200 |
| Maryland | $62K | +1% | 670 |
| Wyoming | $62K | +1% | 40 |
| Minnesota | $61K | +1% | 1,160 |
| Hawaii | $61K | +0% | 720 |
| Wisconsin | $61K | +0% | 770 |
| North Dakota | $61K | -0% | 120 |
| Iowa | $61K | -0% | 370 |
| Georgia | $61K | -0% | 1,380 |
| South Dakota | $60K | -2% | 140 |
| Rhode Island | $60K | -2% | 230 |
| North Carolina | $60K | -2% | 1,430 |
| Idaho | $60K | -2% | 150 |
| Montana | $60K | -2% | 680 |
| Texas | $59K | -2% | 3,180 |
| Ohio | $59K | -3% | 2,020 |
| Oklahoma | $59K | -3% | 510 |
| Indiana | $59K | -3% | 1,060 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -3% | 410 |
| Missouri | $59K | -3% | 920 |
| New York | $59K | -4% | 7,790 |
| Pennsylvania | $58K | -4% | 2,150 |
| Nebraska | $58K | -5% | 270 |
| Tennessee | $57K | -6% | 710 |
| Florida | $57K | -6% | 3,560 |
| South Carolina | $57K | -7% | 450 |
| Michigan | $56K | -7% | 1,880 |
| Alaska | $56K | -8% | 150 |
| Virginia | $55K | -9% | 1,220 |
| Louisiana | $54K | -11% | 400 |
| Mississippi | $52K | -14% | 250 |
| Kansas | $52K | -14% | 450 |
| Alabama | $50K | -17% | 850 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -19% | 350 |
| West Virginia | $48K | -20% | 290 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track clergy salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a clergy afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 46.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for clergies in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new clergies typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,257/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 85% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is clergy a high-paying job in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $66K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for clergies?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do clergies make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $65,710 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,620, and experienced clergies can clear $103,540. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,116/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 46.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a clergy salary go in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median clergy salary is worth about $62,332 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do clergies get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.