Clergy Salary
Clergies in Traverse City, MI make a median of $53,640 a year, or about $25.79 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.37), which stretches that salary to about $57,449 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,224/month, about 34.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Traverse City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Traverse City’s Regional Price Parity (93.37). 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 Traverse City
Pay for clergy in Traverse City runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $61K. Rent runs $1,224/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.37 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for clergies in metros near Traverse City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $60K | $60K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $50K | $53K |
| Ann Arbor | $54K | $54K |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $58K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Traverse City, MI
Entry-level clergies (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $51K 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 Traverse City numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a clergy afford a 2BR apartment alone in Traverse City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 34.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,224/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for clergies in Traverse City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new clergies typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,837/month. At HUD’s $1,224/month FMR, rent would take 67% 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 Traverse City?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $54K here vs. $61K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Traverse City compare to the national average for clergies?
Traverse City pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do clergies make in Traverse City, MI?
The median is $53,640 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,610, and experienced clergies can clear $81,130. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Traverse City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,572/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,224/month, which eats 34.3% 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 Traverse City?
Traverse City has a Regional Price Parity of 93.37 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median clergy salary is worth about $57,449 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.