ChurchSalary 3.0 doesn’t just replace the Compensation Handbook—it improves on everything it set out to do. By moving from a static book to a dynamic platform, churches gain clearer insight, better comparisons, and tools that support healthy ministry decisions today and into the future.
Does ChurchSalary 3.0 replace the Compensation Handbook?
Yes—ChurchSalary 3.0 fully replaces the Compensation Handbook and builds on it in a much more powerful way. While the Compensation Handbook faithfully served churches for decades, ChurchSalary 3.0 represents a natural and necessary next step: moving from a printed reference book to a living, real-time compensation platform designed for today’s ministry realities.
This isn’t just a new format—it’s a better way to help churches make wise, fair, and sustainable compensation decisions.
Check out the different membership tiers & advantages here! 💡
Why Ongoing, Reliable Data Matters for Church Decisions
Changing survey participation
Each year’s handbook reflected a different mix of churches. If more large-budget churches participated one year, salaries appeared to jump—even if actual pay trends hadn’t changed. This made year-over-year comparisons unreliable.
Attendance wasn’t the best measure
The handbook often used attendance as a key comparison point. Research behind ChurchSalary 3.0 shows that total operating budget is a much stronger indicator of compensation capacity. Two churches with the same attendance can have vastly different financial realities—and ChurchSalary 3.0 accounts for that.
Explore how ChurchSalary 3.0 keeps data up to date! 💡
Living Data Informed by Real Church Communities
ChurchSalary 3.0 replaces static tables with a living database shaped by churches actively using the platform.
Employee Profiles
Instead of once-a-year surveys, churches manage Employee Profiles directly in their dashboards. When leaders update compensation to run reports, the data stays current—eliminating the long lag time of printed resources.
The platform normalizes compensation based on budget, creating more accurate and consistent comparisons over time. This helps churches see real trends—not statistical noise—and plan responsibly.
Modern Tools That Replace Old Tables
Everything churches relied on in the handbook is now available—more accurately—inside ChurchSalary 3.0:
Salary Tables
Instantly generate customized salary grids for your entire staff based on your actual roles and context.Market Survey Match
Find the closest real-world matches (not just averages) using up to 13 criteria like education, tenure, role scope, and location.Expanded Cost of Living Analysis
Access real-time data from the U.S. Census Bureau, analyzed across multiple geographic levels to reflect the true cost of living in your community.
Check out all of our Dashboard applications & how they can best serve you! 💡