USNews.com: Best Career 2007: Career Table
| According to the USNews.com: Best Career 2007: Career Table the median income for clergy in the US is $78,690. You have got to be kidding me. That's the 9th best paying job in the 25 they have listed. I'm baffled. |
posted by theultrarev at 9:52 AM
Comments on "USNews.com: Best Career 2007: Career Table"
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Luke said ... (6:53 AM, June 15, 2007) :
post a commentSalary.com doesn't explain what they consider to be "salary". I'm sure there are still a lot of parsonages out there, so there is an "imputed" salary enhancement there. Beneficial tax treatment for certain clergy income and expenses (housing allowances, for example) would be considered imputed salary, too. So I'm sure they are looking at a tax-equivalent, imputed benefit adjusted salary - NOT paycheck amounts.
So a person could wind up getting 40k a year, but live in a parsonage, declare a significant portion of income as housing allowance (furnishings) for tax purposes, be provided a leased car, get health and medical insurance provided by a denomination, have a separate travel, training, and books budget item... and live like they were making 78k a year...
After all, in the Covenant, at least, a really good coffee maker is a business expense for a pastor, right?