Career
Directors, religious activities and education
Lead religious education, programs and activities that help people grow in faith.
$52,100
Median pay
+3.3%
Job growth, 2025–35
13,000
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Develop or direct study courses or religious education programs within congregations.
- Identify and recruit potential volunteer workers.
- Select appropriate curricula or class structures for educational programs.
- Schedule special events, such as camps, conferences, meetings, seminars, or retreats.
- Counsel individuals regarding interpersonal, health, financial, or religious problems.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on people & care, then persuasion & leadership?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Develop or direct study courses or religious education programs within congregations.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Service Orientation.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $52,100 a year and 13,000 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Contemplative Studies/InquiryCIP 30.2502
- ThanatologyCIP 30.5301
- Bible/Biblical StudiesCIP 39.0201
- Missions/Missionary StudiesCIP 39.0301
- Religious EducationCIP 39.0401
- Worship MinistryCIP 39.0502
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Clergy$60,810 · +2.4%
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$64,330 · +2.9%
- Social and Community Service Managers$80,390 · +7.2%
- Community Health Workers$51,850 · +12.7%
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers$59,550 · +4.4%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.