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Certified Chaplain Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Houston Methodist Hospital

Chaplain

Houston, TX

Must have one of the following certifications within 3 years of hire/transfer into this role: • Board Certified Chaplain (BCCI) • Board Certified Chaplain (NAJC) • Board Certified Chaplain ...

Houston Methodist

Board Certified Chaplain (BCCI)Board Certified Chaplain (NAJC)Board Certified Chaplain (NACC)Board Certified Chaplain (NAVAC)Board Certified Chaplain (APC)Board Certified Chaplain (SCA)Advanced ...

Houston Methodist Hospital

Chaplain

Houston, TX

Must have one of the following certifications within 3 years of hire/transfer into this role: • Board Certified Chaplain (BCCI) • Board Certified Chaplain (NAJC) • Board Certified Chaplain ...

Houston Methodist

Board Certified Chaplain (BCCI)Board Certified Chaplain (NAJC)Board Certified Chaplain (NACC)Board Certified Chaplain (NAVAC)Board Certified Chaplain (APC)Board Certified Chaplain (SCA)Advanced ...

Houston Methodist

Chaplain

The Woodlands, TX

Board Certified Chaplain (BCCI)Board Certified Chaplain (NAJC)Board Certified Chaplain (NACC)Board Certified Chaplain (NAVAC)Board Certified Chaplain (APC)Board Certified Chaplain (SCA)Advanced ...

CommonSpirit Health

Chaplain

Omaha, NE

Board Certified Chaplain APC, upon hire or * Certified Supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education ... upon hire or * Board Certified Chaplain BCC, upon hire or * Catholic Chaplain, upon hire or

CommonSpirit Health

Chaplain

Glendale, CA

Board Certified Chaplain APC, upon hire or * Certified Supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education, upon hire or * Board Certified Chaplain BCC, upon hire or * Catholic Chaplain, upon hire or * BCC ...

CommonSpirit Health

Chaplain

Redding, CA

Board Certified Chaplain BCC, upon hire Preferred * Board Certified Chaplain APC, upon hire and * BCC - JEWISH CHAPLAIN, upon hire Where You'll Work Mercy Medical Center Redding offers comprehensive ...

CommonSpirit Health

Chaplain

San Bernardino, CA · On-site

Board Certified Chaplain APC, within 12 - months or * Certified Supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education, within 12 - months or * Board Certified Chaplain BCC, within 12 - months or * Catholic ...

CommonSpirit Health

Chaplain

Redding, CA

Board Certified Chaplain BCC, upon hire Preferred * Board Certified Chaplain APC, upon hire and * BCC - JEWISH CHAPLAIN, upon hire Where You'll Work Mercy Medical Center Redding offers comprehensive ...

CommonSpirit Health

Chaplain

Las Vegas, NV · On-site

Board Certified Chaplain APC, or * BCC - JEWISH CHAPLAIN, or * BCC - CANADIAN SPIRITUAL, or * Certified Supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education, or * Board Certified Chaplain BCC, or * Catholic ...

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How much do certified chaplain jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 11, 2026, the average yearly pay for certified chaplain in the United States is $63,587.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $48,500.00 and $80,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What can a certified chaplain do?

A certified chaplain provides spiritual support, counseling, and emotional care to individuals in settings such as hospitals, military, or correctional facilities. They offer comfort during crises, facilitate religious services, and may hold certifications or training in pastoral care. Their role often involves active listening, empathy, and respecting diverse faith backgrounds.

What is a Certified Chaplain?

A Certified Chaplain is a spiritual care professional who has received formal training and certification to provide emotional, spiritual, and religious support in settings like hospitals, military, prisons, or hospices. Certification is typically obtained through recognized organizations and requires education, supervised experience, and an endorsement from a faith group. Certified Chaplains help people of all backgrounds cope with crisis, illness, grief, and other life challenges. Their role often involves counseling, conducting religious services, and offering comfort and guidance to individuals and families.

How do I become a certified chaplain?

To become a certified chaplain, individuals typically complete a bachelor's degree followed by a master's degree in divinity, theology, or a related field. They must also gain clinical pastoral education (CPE) through supervised training and obtain certification from a recognized organization such as the Association of Professional Chaplains or the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, which often requires passing exams and demonstrating relevant experience.

How do Certified Chaplains typically collaborate with multidisciplinary teams in healthcare settings?

Certified Chaplains often work closely with doctors, nurses, social workers, and other healthcare professionals to provide holistic care to patients and their families. They participate in team meetings, offer spiritual assessments, and contribute to care planning by addressing patients’ emotional and spiritual needs. This collaboration ensures that all aspects of a patient's well-being are considered, and chaplains often serve as a bridge between patients, families, and medical staff, especially in times of crisis or end-of-life care.

What is the difference between Certified Chaplain vs Hospital Chaplain?

AspectCertified ChaplainHospital Chaplain
CredentialsRequires certification from a recognized organization (e.g., CPE, board certification)Typically requires similar certification, often with additional hospital-specific training
Work EnvironmentVarious settings including military, hospice, prisons, and communityPrimarily in hospital settings providing spiritual support to patients and staff
Employer & IndustryReligious organizations, healthcare, military, correctional facilitiesHospitals, healthcare systems, medical centers

Both Certified Chaplains and Hospital Chaplains often hold similar certifications and work in healthcare environments. The main difference lies in their specific work settings, with Hospital Chaplains focusing exclusively on hospital environments, while Certified Chaplains may serve in a broader range of contexts.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Certified Chaplain, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Certified Chaplain, you need a background in theology or religious studies, completion of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), and certification from a recognized chaplaincy organization. Familiarity with electronic health records and documentation systems is often required in healthcare settings. Exceptional listening skills, cultural sensitivity, and emotional resilience are vital soft skills for providing spiritual care to diverse individuals. These skills and qualifications ensure chaplains can offer compassionate and effective support to people in crisis while collaborating within multidisciplinary teams.

Can I be a chaplain without being ordained?

Certified chaplains do not always need to be ordained, but requirements vary by organization and setting. Some chaplaincy roles accept non-ordained individuals who have relevant training, certifications, and experience in spiritual care or counseling. It is important to check specific employer or institutional requirements for chaplain positions.

What is the highest paying chaplain job?

The highest paying chaplain roles are often in specialized settings such as military, healthcare administration, or corporate chaplaincy, where salaries can exceed $70,000 annually. Senior or lead chaplain positions with extensive experience and advanced certifications tend to offer higher compensation, especially in large organizations or institutions with 24/7 coverage requirements.
More about Certified Chaplain jobs
What states have the most Certified Chaplain jobs? States with the most job openings for Certified Chaplain jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Certified Chaplain jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Certified Chaplain jobs are:
Certified Chaplain jobs near you
Infographic showing various Certified Chaplain job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Locum Tenens, 3% As Needed, and 96% Full Time. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $63,587 per year, or $30.6 per hour.
Chaplain

Chaplain

Houston Methodist Hospital

Houston, TX

Full-time

Posted 28 days ago

Houston Methodist rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 293 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

70th of 870 rated healthcare providers

Job description

At Houston Methodist, the Chaplain position is responsible for providing spiritual care to meet the spiritual, religious, and emotional needs of Houston Methodist patients and their family members. This position provides spiritual care support for Houston Methodist employees, visitors and physicians and position makes spiritual care visits with patients to conduct initial assessments and for follow-up care. The Chaplain position follows established patient care plans, proactively identifying when a change in approach or intervention is necessary, taking appropriate action and involving others as needed. This position works independently, exercising sound judgment and executing above average critical thinking skills on challenging situations, with the ability to work collaboratively with peers and assists leadership in carrying out the Houston Methodist mission, vision and values, participating in and leading activities in these efforts.
FLSA STATUS
Exempt
QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION
  • Master’s degree in theology or related studies from an institution accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or equivalency approved by the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC and only if prior to 2017), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC), Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC), Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), or Spiritual Care Association (SCA)
  • Four units of clinical pastoral education (CPE) from an accredited institution(s), e.g. the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC)

EXPERIENCE
  • Highly prefer experience as a professional chaplain

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required
  • Must have one of the following certifications within 3 years of hire/transfer into this role: •Board Certified Chaplain (BCCI) •Board Certified Chaplain (NAJC) •Board Certified Chaplain (NACC) •Board Certified Chaplain (NAVAC) •Board Certified Chaplain (APC) •Board Certified Chaplain (SCA) •Advanced Practice Board Certified Chaplain (SCA) •Certified Spiritual Care Practitioner (CASC)

SKILLS AND ABILITIES
  • Endorsed for chaplaincy by a recognized endorsing body
  • Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations.
  • Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security.
  • Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles.
  • Possesses basic computer knowledge; operates various computer systems to enter and maintain patient documents
  • Ability to work independently; capable of effectively handling challenging/difficult interactions, patient care situations; demonstrates sound judgment and executes above average communication skills
  • Exhibits strong interpersonal and team player skills with all levels of the healthcare team
  • Adapts to multiple ongoing priorities with minimal supervision including organizing work flow and actively participating in problem-solving
  • Very strong organization skills and detail-oriented nature
  • Professional handling of exposure to confidential/sensitive information

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
  • Facilitates a supportive and positive environment for Houston Methodist patients, family members, visitors, employees and physicians. Assists leadership with planning and carrying out Houston Methodist mission, vision and values. Provides spiritual care support to Houston Methodist employees.
  • Influences a dynamic, team-focused work unit that helps to achieve optimal department results. Collaborates with all members of the patient care team by actively communicating in a positive, supportive, non-judgmental manner.
  • Serves as mentor to CPE students and spiritual care volunteers as assigned. Orients and precepts new chaplains, as assigned.
  • Exhibits and demonstrates healthy work relationships such as mitigation of conflict, leading problem-solving and resolution efforts. Recommends initiatives to improve department scores for employee engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
  • Provides spiritual care to meet the spiritual, religious, and emotional needs of patients and their family members of all faiths, during hospitalization and particularly for pre-operative, critically ill and dying patients. Enables others to utilize their own faith as a resource for health and healing.
  • Makes visits with patients to conduct spiritual care assessments, in response to referrals and codes, and for follow-up care. Follows established patient care plans, proactively identifying when a change in approach or intervention is necessary, taking appropriate action and involving others as needed. Enables patients to participate in their plan of care as applicable.
  • Serves as liaison with community clergy, local congregations and denominational groups. Utilizes community resources to assist in meeting the spiritual needs of others.
  • Serves as the initial point of contact for providing crisis intervention for patients, family members, visitors, employees and physicians.
  • Recommends initiatives/activities to meet/exceed department and organization targets for patient satisfaction measures.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
  • Participates in interprofessional health team rounds; proactively identifies need for intervention and takes action, involving others as necessary. Reports “near misses” and documents in the electronic documentation system.
  • Accurately and thoroughly documents patient visits and spiritual care provided in the patient’s record.
  • Consults with physicians, clinical management, hospital leadership and staff to assess quality and safety of services provided. Identifies opportunities for corrective action and improvement, providing recommendations; contributes to meeting department and hospital targets for quality and safety.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
  • Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks to achieve maximum results in a timely manner. Utilizes time efficiently, demonstrating responsible financial stewardship, and proactively helps other team members.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
  • Participates in and may plan and lead various department and/or hospital-wide activities such as, but not limited to: worship services, I CARE values integration, accreditation readiness, bioethics, etc. Assists with special projects and serves on various hospital committees as identified.
  • Participates in and represents the hospital in Houston Methodist sponsored community activities. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an on-going basis.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
    WORK ATTIRE
    • Uniform: No
    • Scrubs: No
    • Business professional: Yes
    • Other (department approved): No

    ON-CALL*
    *Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.
    • On Call* Yes

    TRAVEL**
    **Travel specifications may vary by department**
    • May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
    • May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No
QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION
  • Master’s degree in theology or related studies from an institution accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or equivalency approved by the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC and only if prior to 2017), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC), Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC), Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), or Spiritual Care Association (SCA)
  • Four units of clinical pastoral education (CPE) from an accredited institution(s), e.g. the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC)

EXPERIENCE
  • Highly prefer experience as a professional chaplain

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required
  • Must have one of the following certifications within 3 years of hire/transfer into this role: • Board Certified Chaplain (BCCI) • Board Certified Chaplain (NAJC) • Board Certified Chaplain (NACC) • Board Certified Chaplain (NAVAC) • Board Certified Chaplain (APC) • Board Certified Chaplain (SCA) • Advanced Practice Board Certified Chaplain (SCA) • Certified Spiritual Care Practitioner (CASC)

Company Profile:

Houston Methodist Hospital is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 hospital in Texas and one of America’s “Best Hospitals.” As a full-service, acute-care hospital located in the Texas Medical Center and the flagship hospital of Houston Methodist, it has evolved into one of the nation’s largest nonprofit teaching hospitals and a leader in innovative medical research with a comprehensive residency program. Two of Houston Methodist’s primary academic affiliates are among the nation’s leading health care organizations: Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Houston Methodist also has affiliations with Texas A&M University and the University of Houston. Houston Methodist Hospital offers unparalleled care for thousands of patients from around the world.

Houston Methodist is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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