What is the average salary of an Orthodox Priest?

[gtsecc]

?

 

[HandmaidenOfGod]

Haven't we been down this road with you before Glen?

 

[gtsecc]

Haven't we been down this road with you before Glen?

I thought so, but I can't find the thread usign the search button.

 

[InnerPhyre]

Depends on the diocese and region. OCA priests generally make less than others, from what I understand. There is a priest 2 years out of seminary at a local Greek church who makes $80,000 a year. My priest has a set salary of $28,000 per year. He used to make a lot more....around $40 I think, but we had to make some large budget cuts after half of our parish left to start a new mission.

 

[rusmeister]

Varies a ton. In California it may be one figure, in Central Russia a completely different one. In annual terms, an average could range from $1,500 to $50,000. Never mind relative cost of living and whether the priest is supporting his family on his own or with parish help. If there are only five hundred priests making the latter figure and 50,000 making the former, that would average out to...(reaches for calculator, then remembers it's all in his head)...
just under $2,000 per.

Any other useless math exercises requested?

No offense intended, gt, but I don't see the use of coming up with a figure, except maybe to demonstrate that priests really really aren't wealthy.

 

[gtsecc]

Any other useless math exercises requested?

No offense intended, gt, but I don't see the use of coming up with a figure, except maybe to demonstrate that priests really really aren't wealthy.

Oh it is quiet relevant, for the reason you mentioned, and for other reasons I can't post here.

 

[Tsarina]

Do the donations go to the Priest.. or to the Church.. or both?

 

[Lotar]

There aren't any numbers on this, so it is impossible to say. In this country priests are generally paid by the parish, so how much they make is dependant upon how much their parish is able (and/or willing) to pay them. My priest (along with teaching part-time at Cal Baptist) makes enough to support his wife, eight kids, and his mother.

 

[gzt]

Depends on who they're working for. I believe the Antiochians require their parishes to pay their full-time priests at least a certain figure based on the cost-of-living in their city, but I could be wrong. The Greeks, I hear, pay relatively handsomely, especially if the priest has a large parish. I don't think any of the OCA dioceses set standards for priestly pay - I could be wrong. They certainly don't get what they deserve, but a decently-sized parish usually provides enough to keep a priest without forcing him to take a second job or eat dog food, though not enough to have shiny things. Hope that helps.

 

[Ioan cel Nou]

Here they generally get nothing except perhaps some expenses and, of course, donations that the parishioners give them for such things as weddings and baptisms. I've yet to come across a single Orthodox priest in Britain who isn't forced to also have a secular job - usually a full time one.

James

 

[JoshuaCh1v9]

lol.

The unaskable question.

Like asking a lady her age.

Just something you don't do.

Besides, like somneone pointed out, Priests and all religious Ministers, don't make big salaries. It's a calling to serve, not an opportunity to get rich.

Well, not unless you have a white suit and your own TV channel......

 

[nikolayalexandroff]

The priest I know of get about 200 USD per month. Rural prists much less usually. But it differs in Russia from region to region and even from parish to parish.

 

[kamikat]

While I don't feel comfortable giving out a specific number, my parish does list Father's salary as part of the annual budget that is available to all. It's an expensive suburb of a major East Coast city. He would not be able to support a family on what he earns, but in a smaller town, it would be fine. I know his wife works, but not sure if she works full time or part time.

 

[Shubunkin]

Considering how much our priests work.... and the time they put in to care for their parish.... it will never be enough... Our main priest (the other is actually retired)... also works a full time job at Conciliar Press, and does a lot of commuting between here and there during the week. I have no idea what the amounts are in dollars. I hope they have many blessings with the work they do here.

 

[VickiY]

Don't forget that many Slavic parishes pay comparably lower because priests get the privilege of living in a church owned rectory...I've seen some, and can tell you they are not doing this for the housing, either

 

[theoforos]

There already was a Russian answer so I guess we could have a Finnish answer too, for comparison, to get a more global picture. I had no idea what the priests are paid, but I made some inquiries to the tax authorities about some priests whose names happened to come to my mind. For some of them there was no information available, but based on the ones I got information about, they seem to get about 30 000 euro per year, plus/minus some thousand (about 40 000 USD at the current euro/dollar rate), which is pretty close to the average pay level in Finland, I think. These were so-called full-time priests employed by the parish, but about half of the priests are "part-time", which means that they have a secular job, and that's where they get their money for living, the parish pays them either nothing at all or almost nothing.