Clergy vs Substance Abuse Counselors
Median pay is about $1k higher for Clergy. Pay for Substance Abuse Counselors is not a BLS figure for that job alone; the table marks it. Clergy have no single usual entry path; Substance Abuse Counselors usually start with bachelor's plus cert.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Clergy | Substance Abuse Counselors |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $60,810 | $59,350 BLS, related |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $48,260 | $47,100 BLS, related |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $76,640 | $76,530 BLS, related |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +2.4% Growing | +18% Growing fast BLS, related |
| Openings a year | 19,200 | 50,500 BLS, related |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Varies | Bachelor's plus cert |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.4 / 5 | 3.2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Very high | Moderate |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 94th pct | 81st pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Clergy
- Active Learning
Only Substance Abuse Counselors
- Monitoring
Both lean on speaking, active listening, reading comprehension, writing, critical thinking.
More comparisons
Compare Clergy with
Compare Substance Abuse Counselors with
Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035), except the figures marked in the table. Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.