15 of the Best Types of Chaplain Jobs in 2026
Discover some great types of Chaplain jobs that are hiring now.
To become a Chaplain, you need a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in divinity or religious studies, or a religious degree from a seminary. You must meet the qualifications to be ordained as a clergy member in a particular faith, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, or other religious traditions. You need to be familiar with the Bible and other religious texts, as a career in Chaplaincy requires you to serve people of all faiths in settings that prevent them from attending religious services in their own houses of worship, like hospitals, long-term care facilities, prisons, and military installations.
If you are interested in a Chaplainjob, here are some kinds of positions to explore for this type of work with open positions on ZipRecruiter.
High Paying Chaplain Jobs
Chaplain Internship
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
An Internship is a position within your desired field that pays little or no money but offers you the opportunity to gain real-world experience. This may set you apart for your future job search. Generally, Internships are almost expected by employers on an entry-level candidate’s resume. You are much more of an asset to an employer if you have some work experience.
Virtual Chaplain
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
A virtual job refers to a job that can be performed outside of an employer’s office. Also known as remote, work from home, or telecommuting jobs, these positions have become increasingly common because of technology like telephones, internet, email, and video conference calls, which help to facilitate employer-employee communication.
Chaplain Manager
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
Managers supervise a team of people; they establish goals, assign tasks, and measure progress. The specific responsibilities of someone in a management position will vary based on the company and industry they work in, but their primary responsibilities remain largely the same. Managers monitor the accomplishments of their staff, focusing on the overall goals of the department. They work with Human Resources to determine and address staffing needs, coordinate and delegate responsibilities, check employee performance, and provide additional training and direction when necessary.
Per Diem Chaplain
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
Per diem jobs are short-term positions which are paid by the day. The most common per diem job opportunities are in the medical field, including positions in nursing, hospice, pediatrics, and midwifery. Phlebotomists, operating (OR) assistants, and pharmacists may also work on a per diem basis. Per diem employees are often contracted to work as admissions coordinators, recreation coordinators, and assistants.
Senior Chaplain
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
Senior Chaplain is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Senior Chaplain jobs pay between $48,500 (25th percentile) and $80,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Senior Chaplain job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Full Time Chaplain
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
Full-time employment hours are generally determined by the employer. There is no single universal definition; however, various laws and policies govern different types of eligibility and statuses. For example, the Fair Labor Standards Act does not define full-time employment but does require overtime pay after 40 hours of work in a workweek for non-exempt employees. The Affordable Care Act, in determining Applicable Large Employers, defines full-time employees as those working an average of at least 30 hours per week, or 130 hours a month. The H-1B Visa Program defines full-time as 40 hours per week, normally, and in no event would less than 35 hours per week be considered to be full-time employment. In practice, full-time employment is typically between 32 and 40 hours per week.
On Call Chaplain
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
When most people think of on-call jobs, medical professionals and first responders typically come to mind. For first responders, like firefighters and EMTs, on-call usually means you are sleeping at the station, ready to wake up and respond to a call quickly. Medical workers, on the other hand, may work a more traditional on-call schedule. While some nurses and doctors may sleep at the hospital, especially during their residency, you may also have an on-call shift where you can leave and go home, potentially never actually coming back. If you want a career as a nurse or doctor but do not like this unpredictability, rest assured that the chance of having on-call shifts decreases as you gain seniority and advanced qualifications. Repair workers like electricians may also work on-call. You may occasionally find on-call jobs in retail or customer service sectors, but this is not as common.
Entry Level Chaplain
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
Entry-level jobs are positions that do not require any previous experience in the role. Most entry-level jobs are aimed at high school or college graduates as a starting point for a future career goal. A college student may have majored in their ideal career field, but will still need to start in an entry-level position to train in a real-world environment. Some students move from internships into entry-level jobs, but most entry-level jobs do not expect a candidate to have any prior employment or on-site training.
Union Chaplain
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
For those who work for unions, some of the specific jobs include researchers, organizers, administrators, lawyers, communications workers, and clerical staff. Your duties include entering workplaces to speak with workers and provide them encouragement and support if they are interested in joining a specific union, or to negotiate with employers for better working conditions, pay, or benefits for union members. There are numerous types of unions, including health care, public sector, construction, writing, and service workers unions, and they represent a variety of professions, such as nurses, journalists, manufacturers, construction workers, municipal workers, and hotel workers, to name only a few.
Executive Chaplain
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
The different types of executive jobs include upper- and senior-level management as well as the C-suite—the highest levels of senior management. The C-suite executives have the word “chief” at the beginning of their titles: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) are the most common. Companies with a heavy reliance on information technology may also have a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Other executive jobs include vice president and director of various departments.
Temporary Chaplain
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
A Temporary job is an employment arrangement in which both parties, the employee and employer, agree in advance that the position will be filled for a set period. Temporary jobs often are based on employers’ seasonal or specific project needs. Occasionally, Temporary employees will be offered ongoing, full-time positions if their performance is excellent and a position is available. However, you should not assume this will be the case.
Summer Chaplain
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
Summer jobs are an integral part of American culture for students in their teens and beyond, but not all summer jobs are created equal. The difference between a great summer and an awful one can be the right job. According to Forbes, some good summer jobs for teens are camp counselor, golf caddy, nanny, food service, retail sales, and, of course, internships.
From Home Chaplain
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
From Home Chaplain is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for From Home Chaplain jobs pay between $48,500 (25th percentile) and $80,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for From Home Chaplain job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Coordinator Chaplain
Salary range: $52,000 - $64,000
Coordinators plan and schedule events, programs, or projects. In this position, you can work in a variety of industries, so your duties and the necessary qualifications vary by field. There are project coordinators who work in the construction, manufacturing, and development industries, program coordinators, who typically work in education, community outreach, or non-profit organizations, and numerous other positions that require significant coordination experience. For those who work in labor industries, coordination might include developing timetables and budgets for the ordering and delivery of materials or services, while at a school, an instructional coordinator might prepare an afterschool program curriculum.
Chaplain Director
Salary range: $52,000 - $64,000
A director is a low-level executive in a company or organization that is responsible for a particular project, region, or division. A director of a company is employed to manage the day-to-day business activities of a group or division within an organization. There are different types of directors, but they are all tasked with leading others and meeting the goals of the organization. Directors plan, execute and manage to reach a goal. For example, the sales director would oversee the sales for a particular product or area. An HR director would be tasked with screening applicants and hiring the right candidates, making sure to comply with all employment laws and settling any personnel issues.