What Is the Average Pay Rate for a Church's Administrative Assistant?

Church pastors couldn't coordinate all the dinners, baptisms, weddings, funerals and office functions without the help of their administrative assistants. Church administrative assistants answer phones, schedule meetings and track offerings and expenses for their churches. They also keep records of church members, and coordinate travel arrangements for pastors. If you're the type of person who likes to stay busy with a variety of responsibilities, the job of church administrative assistant may be perfect for you. You can expect to earn an annual salary that is relatively average compared to other occupations.

Church administrative assistants earned average annual salaries of $40,000 as of 2013, according to the job website Indeed. To get a job as a church administrative assistant, you need a high school education and at least two years experience as a secretary or administrative assistant. Some larger churches may prefer that you have an associate or bachelor's degree in office administration or accounting. Other essential requirements include interpersonal, organizational, clerical, writing, typing and computer skills.

In 2013, church administrative assistants' salaries varied within the four U.S. regions. In the Northeast, they earned the lowest salaries, of $36,000 in Maine and highest, of $49,000, in Massachusetts, according to Simply Hired. Those in the Midwest made between $32,000 and $43,000, respectively, in South Dakota and Minnesota. If you worked in the South, your salary would be highest in the District of Columbia or lowest in Mississippi -- $64,000 versus $32,000. You'd make $32,000 to $46,000 per year in the West -- with the lowest earnings in Montana and highest in Alaska and California.

Church administrative assistants can earn more as they gain experience. With five years experience in this role, you may qualify for a higher-paying job. You may also qualify for an administrative position in a larger church with additional experience. Larger churches likely pay more than smaller churches because they have larger congregations, which help pay their salaries. Your salary would also be higher in California, Minnesota and Massachusetts to account for higher housing and living costs in those states.

Jobs for secretaries and administrative assistants, including those employed by churches, are expected to increase 12 percent in the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics -- an average growth rate versus the 14 percent national average. Church membership for many denominations has continued to fall in recent years, according to "USA Today." You may find the more job opportunities as a church administrative assistant in traditionally religious states, especially in the South.

Secretaries and administrative assistants earned a median annual salary of $38,730 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, secretaries and administrative assistants earned a 25th percentile salary of $30,500, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $48,680, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 3,990,400 people were employed in the U.S. as secretaries and administrative assistants.