On the Query page, the ZIP code for your church is a required field. This data point is used to provide localized information in four sections of your report (depending on your report type): (1) Localized Salary Recommendation, (2) Salary Comparison, (3) Cost of Living Comparison, and (4) Comparable Jobs.
Localized Salary Recommendation 💰
In every full-time pastoral report, the ZIP code you enter is used to create a fingerprint of your community based on four variables:
Region
Cost of Living Index
Population Density
Median Household Income
ChurchSalary's powerful calculator uses these four variables to search for the closest possible employee matches in our database. The set of tables in the Localized Salary Recommendation section shows you the the average base salary, housing allowance, and total compensation for similar employees based on these four variables.
For example, in the region table, a set of averages is displayed based on similar employees serving at similar churches in your Bureau of Labor Statistics region.
Note: New York and New Jersey are included in the New England region in the Localized Salary Recommendation section in order to increase the number valid matches for pastors serving in this two-state region.
Learn more about the Localized Salary Recommendation section in the video below.
Pro tip: If your pay needs to compete at the national level, we recommend that you use the numbers in the first section - the Nationwide Salary Summary.
Salary Comparison 💸
Average salary data relevant to your location is presented in the Salary Comparison section. Based on their self-reported geographic setting, the average salary for similar employees serving at similar churches is broken down based on whether their church is located in a:
Metropolitan city (or large city)
Suburb of a large city
Small town
Rural area
Learn more about how these geographic settings are defined in this article.
Cost of Living Comparison 🏡
Using your ZIP code (and a second one if you enter it), ChurchSalary compares the cost of living in your location with the national average. This percentage is a relative measurement of the cost of 60 different goods and services - including these six main expenses: food, housing, utilities, transportation, healthcare and goods & services in your ZIP code than the national average. Additionally, these ZIP codes are also used to display median household income (or MHI) data.
Learn more about the data presented in the Cost of Living Comparison section in the video below.
Read our in-depth article on COLI: Unpacking the Cost of Living.
Comparable Jobs 💼
ChurchSalary displays salary ranges for jobs that a similar employee could find in the larger marketplace in the Comparable Jobs. These salary ranges are based on compensation data reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for your Metropolitan Statistical Area or MSA.
Note: In some cases, where not enough salary data has been reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compensation ranges in the Comparable Jobs section may be reported based on your state. The report most commonly affected by this sample size problem are full-time church musicians/performers.
Learn more about the Comparable Jobs and the ranges within this section in the video below.
Have questions about other sections in your report? Watch our other How To videos, or contact us at support@churchsalary.com for more information!