Free Pastoral Compensation Tool

I recently discovered this free tool that you might be interested in…

If questions about pastoral compensation arise, whether regarding base salary, benefits, or medical insurance, they often go to the diaconate. 

The deacons may be asked to do the research and report back to the pastor or elders (depending on your church) with recommendations. 

Here is the link:

Pastor Compensation Tool

Many churches don’t understand that paying a pastor an average salary is actually paying him less than everyone else due to extra costs imposed on them to pay both halves of Social Security, for instance (if they don’t opt out–and if they do, then they should still be paid both halves).

This free tool helps incorporate those values automatically. 

Caution: it doesn’t tell you how much a pastor should be compensated for health insurance. It relies on your own input for that.

That means you have to do some research. 

One option I would recommend: investigate how much it would cost a pastor and his family to enroll in one of the Christian health sharing ministries. That should be the preferred solution.

As an alternative, a high deductible mainstream plan will come with a health savings account (HSA). That will allow the pastor to make annual contributions that reduce his taxable income. If he and his family are healthy, this is a good option.

I wrote a summary of the major health sharing ministries and their prices. It is available on my website:

Christian Health Sharing Ministry Comparisons