9 Best Side Hustles for Pastors

Earning potential: $100–$400 per wedding

What it is and how it works: A wedding officiant is someone who’s authorized to perform weddings. In addition to actually conducting the ceremonies themselves, officiants are also responsible for ensuring that each couple’s marriage license is properly filled out and sent to the county clerk’s office for certification after the wedding.

Why you should do it: As a pastor, you’re presumably no stranger to public speaking and performing ceremonies. What’s more, many religious couples prefer having a respected and familiar religious leader as their officiant, which makes you a natural fit for this side hustle.

This job can also be deeply fulfilling—after all, it means taking part in one of the most important moments of a couple’s life.

How to get started: In some states, you need to be licensed to become a professional wedding officiant. In others, you might automatically be able to act in this capacity if you’re already an ordained minister.

Check your local government website to see if you need to register with the state. If you need to pursue additional education before applying for licensure, enroll in a credentialing program from an organization that aligns with your core values.

Earning potential: $20–$30 per hour

What it is and how it works: Religious teachers develop and carry out lesson plans to help students learn about religion, theology, and spirituality.

As a teacher, you can hold private classes and seminars or teach in an institution. You can also teach online, which can mean anything from holding tutoring sessions over Zoom to creating virtual courses for hundreds or thousands of people to purchase and download.

Why you should do it: As someone who’s used to giving sermons and preaching to churchgoers, you already have the skills that this side hustle requires. If you have something important to say about your faith, this is also the best way to share your message with the widest possible audience.

How to get started: If you decide to teach privately, spread the word by telling people in your congregation and posting on your social media accounts. You’ll need to find a suitable space that can accommodate however many students you plan to teach.

If you decide to create an online course, you can sell it on your own website or on a reputable online marketplace, such as Udemy or Skillshare.

Earning potential: Varies (set your rate above minimum wage)

What it is and how it works: If you’re a seasoned pastor, less experienced pastors from other churches may seek advice from you about how to give impactful sermons. Some novices may even ask you to write particularly important sermons for them.

Why you should do it: You might not feel comfortable charging your colleagues and fellow pastors for this type of service, but if you have genuinely valuable advice to give, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be compensated for your time. This is an honest way to support yourself and to help out your church if they’re struggling to pay you a living wage.

How to get started: Let the people in your religious circle know you’re open to providing consulting services to other religious leaders. If you happen to have a website or public social media page (or your church does), you can post about your services there as well.

The most important thing is to be transparent about your experience and knowledge, as well as your desired rate. As an act of goodwill, you can consider holding a few free sessions each month for those who want to learn from you but can’t afford to pay your fee.

Earning potential: $25–$35 per hour

What it is and how it works: Chaplains provide spiritual guidance to people outside of a church setting. Common places to offer services include:

• Hospitals
• Universities
• Prisons
• The military
• Corporations

You can also hold sessions remotely, making this a good online job for pastors.

Why you should do it: Your responsibilities as a pastor heavily overlap with those of a chaplain, so you can ease into this role smoothly.

Being a chaplain will also make you a better pastor. You’ll have the chance to do multi-faith work, which means interacting with people who believe in different religions, or who are atheist or agnostic. Tending to such a diverse group will better prepare you to guide your own flock.

How to get started: You can work on a contract basis as a representative of your church or get hired independently by an outside organization. The qualifications you’ll need to serve as a chaplain will vary depending on your employer.

In most cases, you’ll need to earn at least a BA, preferably in a related field, such as religious studies, theology, or ministry. You may also need to obtain a certification recognized by the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC).

Chaplains who intend to work in a healthcare setting should undergo Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training, which many healthcare organizations offer. If you’re interested, consider signing up for a CPE program accredited by ACPE, an agency that’s recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE).

Earning potential: $70–$200 per hour

What it is and how it works: Counselors and life coaches both help people navigate personal challenges and live happier, healthier lives.

The two roles are slightly different; counselors often focus more on understanding and healing past traumas and may provide more direct advice than coaches. However, both counselors and coaches address similar topics, helping their clients improve their:

• Personal and romantic relationships
• Careers and financial situations
• Physical and mental health

Why you should do it: Being a counselor or life coach gives you the opportunity to help people—something that’s probably a big part of why you became a pastor. You already spend a lot of time listening to people and giving them advice. This side hustle just means continuing your good work outside of a church setting.

How to get started: There aren’t any specific qualifications that you need to become a life coach, but it’s a good idea to obtain a relevant certification to boost your credentials. You can start by checking out this searchable list of coaching courses that are accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

The barrier to becoming a counselor is significantly higher. Many positions require candidates to hold a degree in a relevant field and obtain a state license. The American Counseling Association (ACA) website details the licensure requirements in different states.

Earning potential: $20 per hour

What it is and how it works: As you’d expect, event planners are responsible for designing and executing plans for events. They handle logistics, including budgeting, booking venues, creating itineraries, and obtaining any required permits.

By contrast, event hosts focus on making sure everything goes as planned on the day of the event and that the guests are having a good time. Event hosts often collaborate with planners, helping them make certain decisions, such as picking a suitable venue.

Why you should do it: Organizing and hosting worship services and other church events are probably within your purview as a pastor. Why not make use of the skills you’ve acquired and create a profitable business?

How to get started: You don’t need a degree to be a professional event planner, although you do need to have relevant experience. As mentioned, your work as a pastor or priest may have already taken you part of the way there.

Tap into your personal network to find your first few clients. Ask your connections if they know anyone who needs help planning or hosting an event.

If you’re looking for freelance work, consider signing up on EventWork.com in addition to browsing regular job boards and freelancing platforms.

Earning potential: Varies

What it is and how it works: With your background, writing about spirituality and religion for Christian publications is an obvious choice. Alternatively, you can try your hand at writing fiction—there’s a sizable market for short stories and novels that tackle Christian themes.

Why you should do it: It’s possible to become a freelance writer with no professional experience, as long as you have good writing and research skills. This job is very flexible, allowing you to decide where and when you want to work, which means it will never infringe on your main career as a pastor.

How to get started: The first step is to put together a portfolio that demonstrates your writing abilities. You can include articles you’ve written for other people, as well as personal projects. If you’ve never written before, consider informally “assigning” yourself a few topics to write about so you have writing samples to show potential employers.

As a freelancer, you’ll have to do a lot of cold pitching. There are plenty of freelance writing job boards that you can find work on, such as:

• Upwork
• Fiverr
• Freelancer.com

Earning potential: Varies depending on the popularity of your content

What it is and how it works: There’s a big market for religious content online. If you have a decent voice and something to say, you may be able to gain traction, build an audience, and earn real money, although how much you can realistically expect to make depends on your popularity.

Why you should do it: Content creation is highly competitive and very few podcasters and YouTubers get rich off of their channels. However, the job often brings in other work opportunities and helps expand your network.

Starting a podcast or YouTube channel also gives you a chance to flex your creative muscles and offers you a platform to share your wisdom and knowledge with a wider audience.

How to get started: Think about which topics you want to explore. For instance, within the realm of spirituality, you could cover mindfulness, ethics, or philosophy. Whatever topics you want to tackle, approach them in a unique way to separate yourself from your competitors.

Check out other popular podcasts and YouTube channels in your niche to find inspiration. Many content creators attract viewers and listeners by conducting in-depth interviews with experts in their field, but you can take whatever approach feels right to you.

Earning potential: $25–$35 per hour

What it is and how it works: This side hustle is self-explanatory: you can earn money by giving musical performances or by teaching other people how to sing or play an instrument.

Why you should do it: For many people, music is a big part of what draws them to church. If that describes you, a side hustle like this might suit you perfectly, and if you have experience directing music programs and training worship musicians in the church, you’ll be able to hit the ground running.

How to get started: Making a full-time living with music is difficult, but there are probably more opportunities for part-time musicians in your community than you realize. Many individuals and organizations frequently need to book local musicians to perform at various types of events. You just need to let them know you’re available.

Spread the word in your community that you’re open to teaching or giving music performances. If you’re heavily involved in your church choir, you might already know other talented and well-connected musicians who will be able to help you out.