Theology & Religious Vocations

Types of Degrees Theology & Religious Vocations Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many theology and religious vocations graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	14,027
Doctor’s Degree	2,356
Graduate Certificate	904

What Theology & Religious Vocations Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, theology and religious vocations majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Theology & Religious Vocations Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Skills for Theology & Religious Vocations Majors

A major in theology and religious vocations prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Theology & Religious Vocations Majors

As a theology and religious vocations major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Theology & Religious Vocations Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with theology and religious vocations:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Clergy	8.2%	$48,990
Directors, Religious Activities and Education	7.1%	$40,810
Music Directors	5.7%	$49,630
Philosophy and Religion Professors	12.3%	$71,890
Religious Workers	7.7%	$29,820

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Theology & Religious Vocations?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 63% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of theology and religious vocations majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	713
Black or African American	1,915
Hispanic or Latino	966
White	7,826
International Students	1,152
Other Races/Ethnicities	1,455

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Theology & Religious Vocations, too. About 8.2% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Theology & Religious Vocations Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in theology and religious vocations made a median starting salary of $42,352 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $38,436 (25th percentile) and $46,926 (75th percentile).

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to theology and religious vocations.

Salaries According to BLS

Theology and Religious Vocations majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $46,980 to $59,790 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Theology & Religious Vocations

Some degrees associated with theology and religious vocations may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to theology and religious vocations have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.9%
Some College Courses	0.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	35.0%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	2.2%
Master’s Degree	28.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.2%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.1%
Doctoral Degree	27.0%
Post-Doctoral Training	3.1%

Online Theology & Religious Vocations Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 630 schools offered some type of theology and religious vocations program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	108	28
Certificate (2-4 Years)	26	10
Associate’s Degree	267	99
Bachelor’s Degree	228	58
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	1,054	265
Post-Master’s	54	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	167	29
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	83	9
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	69	9

Is a Degree in Theology & Religious Vocations Worth It?

The median salary for a theology and religious vocations grad is $53,290 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 34% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $267,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Theology & Religious Vocations

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to theology and religious vocations.

Major	Number of Grads
Visual & Performing Arts	18,379
English Language & Literature	9,566
Foreign Languages & Linguistics	4,163
Philosophy & Religious Studies	3,136
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities	2,680

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Daderot under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.