How Much Should Pastors and Church Employees Get Paid?

I saw this book below and thought of a few things. Church talent — if you’re paying them — should be rewarded just like talent at McDonald’s or at the doctor’s office. The book below is spot on.

Of course, 108 top LDS officials get paid $120K a year. Full-time General Authorities. But not any area authorities, stake presidents, bishops, or countless others serving within area wards and stakes.

In our Latter-day Saint tradition, we should be grateful for the many who help build up the Church by serving for no compensation.

Links for more details on how LDS leaders are paid or reimbursed:

Click here for a lengthy post about stipends for 108 LDS General Authorities.

And here for a broad discussion of Church finances .

And here for a broad discussion of the way mission presidents are reimbursed, but not paid.

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You know this better than anyone: Your church staff is crushing it. Every day they’re meeting the physical and spiritual needs of your church while engaging the wider community.

These unsung heroes rarely ask for recognition. They do what they do because they love God and love people. But even heroes have physical needs to take care of.

Missing the mark on compensation can have a major impact on your church—likely a bigger impact than you realize.

If salaries are too low, you might discover some things the hard way. Things like:

  • How the wrong compensation can weaken your team’s cohesion and enthusiasm 
  • The real cost of high turnover (and how to adjust your compensation accordingly)
  • Why you might miss out on talented individuals who might want to join your team (but have some unavoidable financial realities to juggle as well)

Making salary decisions based on hunches isn’t fair to those your hire—that’s why we created this guide. With the help of Vanderbloemen Search Group, we’ve compiled a guide for making salary decisions that not only honor your staff and their hard work but are also wise decisions for your church as a whole.

Don’t make another staff salary decision without reading this ebook first.