Chaplain salary in California
Open chaplain jobs in California post a median of $41 an hour, the middle half $37.25–$44.75 (about $85,300 a year full time), $7 above the national posted median. From 15 jobs at 10 employers that state their pay.
The jobs themselves: Chaplain jobs in California · Chaplain pay nationwide
What chaplains are paid in California
Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).
Posted on open jobs in California
Middle half of 14 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $41. 65% of the 23 open chaplain jobs in California state an hourly rate.
Chaplain in California: new openings every week
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Chaplain pay by town in California
Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.
| Town | Median posted | Posted range | Jobs (employers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $39.25 | $27.92–$48.08 | 3 (2) |
Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.
Chaplain pay by employer in California
What each employer posts for chaplains here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.
Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for chaplains nationwide when it has such a page.
Best-paid open chaplain jobs in California
The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

Sutter Health · Sacramento, CA· 1w ago
$46.66–$65.32/hr
Chaplain - Sharp Grossmont - Variable Shifts - Per Diem
Sharp HealthCare · La Mesa, CA· 4d ago
$41.820–$53.970/hr
UCSF Health · Oakland, CA· 1mo ago
$47.52/hr
Relief Chaplain, 0 FTE Day 08HR
Stanford Health Care · Palo Alto, CA· 3w ago
$38.95–$50.62/hr
Alameda Health System · Oakland, CA· 6mo ago
$40.3–$49.18/hr
Eisenhower Health · Rancho Mirage, CA· 2mo ago
$33.73–$51.24/hr
Chaplain - Sharp Chula Vista - Variable Shift - Full Time
Sharp HealthCare · Chula Vista, CA· 2w ago
$36.830–$47.530/hr
Providence · Los Angeles, CA· 3w ago
$31.43–$48.08/hr
Priest Chaplain - Spiritual Care
Providence · Torrance, CA· 2mo ago
$31.43–$48.08/hr
Chaplain I, Hospital - Per Diem Days
Kaiser Permanente · Los Angeles, CA· 2d ago
$34.13–$44.15/hr
CommonSpirit Health · Redding, CA· 1mo ago
$30.91–$45.98/hr
CommonSpirit Health · Oxnard, San Bernardino and 2 more, CA· 3w ago
$25.55–$48.17/hr
What BLS measures in California
What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.
| BLS occupation | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clergy (21-2011) | $20.53 (source: BLS OEWS, Clergy, opens in a new tab) | $29.48 (source: BLS OEWS, Clergy, opens in a new tab) | $37.36 (source: BLS OEWS, Clergy, opens in a new tab) | $46.94 (source: BLS OEWS, Clergy, opens in a new tab) | $75.49 (source: BLS OEWS, Clergy, opens in a new tab) | 7,110 (source: BLS OEWS, Clergy, opens in a new tab) |
BLS median by metro area
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$35.86/hr (source: BLS OEWS, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, opens in a new tab)
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$37.24/hr (source: BLS OEWS, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, opens in a new tab)
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$37.66/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA, opens in a new tab)
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$37.26/hr (source: BLS OEWS, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, opens in a new tab)
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$36.88/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA, opens in a new tab)
- Fresno, CA$34.20/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Fresno, CA, opens in a new tab)
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$37.05/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA, opens in a new tab)
- Bakersfield-Delano, CA$35.46/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Bakersfield-Delano, CA, opens in a new tab)
Chaplain salary in California: common questions
How much does a chaplain make in California?
Open chaplain jobs in California that state an hourly rate post a median of $41, the middle half $37.25–$44.75 (15 jobs from 10 employers). Full time that is about $85,300 a year. BLS measured a median of $37.36/hr ($77,710 a year) for people employed in the occupation in California (May 2025).
Which employers in California pay chaplains the most?
Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Providence ($39.75) and CommonSpirit Health ($36.75).
How does California compare with the rest of the country?
The posted median in California ($41) is $7 above the national posted median of $34. In the BLS survey California ranks 2 of 51 by median wage.
Where do these figures come from?
From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 15 of 23 open chaplain jobs in California (65%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.
Sources and method
- CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Clergy (SOC 21-2011), every state, published May 15, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Clergy, national, published May 15, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Clergy by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026
Cite this page
CareJobs.Now. (2026). Chaplain salary in California. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/chaplain/california