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Ministers of Religion

Ministers of Religion perform spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faiths, and provide motivation, guidance and training in religious life for the people of congregations and parishes, and the wider community.

Care & communityANZSCO 2722
$1,994/wkMedian full-time pay
19kPeople employed
+19% ▲Growth to 2035
67%Work full time
49Median age
Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 2722.More about our sources: How we check our facts

What they do

The main tasks of this occupation, from the national occupation standard.

preparing and conducting services of public worship and acknowledgments of faithpreparing and delivering sermons, homilies and special talks, and planning music for servicesparticipating in the social and welfare activities of communities, encouraging people to be aware of their responsibilities, and organising participation in community projectsconducting classes of religious instruction, and supervising prayer and discussion groups, retreats and seminarsconducting premarital and family counselling and referring people to professional service agencies where necessaryperforming marriages, funerals and special memorial services according to tradition and ecclesiastical and civil law
Source: JSA occupation profileTask list from the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 2722 (ANZSCO task statements).More about our sources: How we check our facts

The outlook

Room for 3,600 more people in ministers of religion by 2035 ▲

The field shrank 2.3% in the year to February 2026, losing about 400 workers. Most of the jobs are in NSW and QLD, with VIC third.

Source: JSA · ABS, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 2722.More about our sources: How we check our facts
19.5k2025
21.3k2030 PROJ.
23.1k2035 PROJ.

Getting in

7 in ten people here have a degree. You can still get in without one.

21% came through a VET qualification. These are the nationally recognised courses mapped to this occupation, with the number of registered training providers that offer each one.

Source: JSA · training.gov.auEducation split: JSA (Jobs and Skills Australia) occupation profile, using ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Census data, ANZSCO 2722. Qualification mapping and provider counts: training.gov.au, the national register of vocational education, October 2026. Listed providers are current registered training providers (private providers and TAFE institutes).More about our sources: How we check our facts

Nationally recognised training · most offered first

11237NATCertificate IV

Certificate IV in Christian Ministry and Theology

See 15 providers
11238NATDiploma

Diploma of Christian Ministry and Theology

See 13 providers
11236NATCertificate III

Certificate III in Christian Ministry and Theology

See 9 providers
See all 31 mapped courses
11237NATCertificate IV in Christian Ministry and Theology · 15 providers
11238NATDiploma of Christian Ministry and Theology · 13 providers
11236NATCertificate III in Christian Ministry and Theology · 9 providers
11239NATAdvanced Diploma of Christian Ministry and Theology · 6 providers
11232NATGraduate Diploma of Christian Ministry and Theology · 4 providers
11231NATGraduate Certificate in Christian Ministry and Theology · 3 providers
11299NATCertificate IV in Bible Ministry · 2 providers
11090NATAdvanced Diploma of Christian Ministry · 1 provider
11132NATCertificate III in Christian Leadership · 1 provider
11290NATCertificate III in Discipleship · 1 provider
11012NATCertificate IV in Catholic Ministry · 1 provider
11466NATCertificate IV in Christian Ministry · 1 provider
11446NATCertificate IV in Christian Missions · 1 provider
22709VICCertificate IV in Jewish Traditions and Practices · 1 provider
11088NATCertificate IV in Ministry and Discipleship · 1 provider
11145NATCertificate IV in Ministry and Discipleship · 1 provider
11427NATCertificate IV in Talmudic Studies · 1 provider
11467NATDiploma of Christian Leadership and Ministry · 1 provider
11089NATDiploma of Christian Ministry · 1 provider
11447NATDiploma of Christian Missions Leadership · 1 provider
11114NATDiploma of Islamic Studies · 1 provider
11286NATDiploma of Multicultural Leadership and Ministry · 1 provider
11105NATAdvanced Diploma of Ministry · 0 providers
11103NATCertificate IV in Ministry · 0 providers
11091NATCertificate IV in Theology and Ministry · 0 providers
11070NATDiploma of Chaplaincy · 0 providers
DEF53415Diploma of Institutional and Operational Chaplaincy · 0 providers
22628VICDiploma of Islamic Leadership · 0 providers
11373NATDiploma of Islamic Studies Instruction · 0 providers
11104NATDiploma of Ministry · 0 providers
11092NATDiploma of Theology and Ministry · 0 providers

Providers are shown in A-Z order on each course page. A listing is not a recommendation.

Jobs open right now

19k Australians do this work. See who is hiring this month.

Search job ads by state

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Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26State chart shows people employed, not current job ads. ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 2722.More about our sources: How we check our facts

People employed by state, 2025-26

NSW5.7k
QLD4.4k
VIC3.3k
WA2.4k
SA1.6k
TAS0.4k
ACT0.4k
NT0.2k

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