This page offers concrete, actionable suggestions for starting a career as a chaplain in the United States, as well as significant background information about the profession.
Most paid chaplaincy positions are in highly institutionalized settings, like healthcare, hospice, the military, corrections, and higher education. There are far fewer paid positions in community settings, municipal service, or social movements. The costs and potential compensation of becoming a chaplain are detailed in a report linked below.
The Lab posts chaplaincy job openings when requested, and these are listed below. Applying for those openings works the same as it would for any other job. The process of seeking employment with the federal government (i.e., the military, the Bureau of Prisons, and the Veterans Administration) is much different and described below.
Here we focus first on general information about the field and then offer more concrete advice. We highly recommend you begin your exploration of jobs in spiritual care by reading our free eBook Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Care.