Chaplain pay range
Commonwealth of Kentucky · class code 20001155
- Class code
- 20001155
- Pay grade
- 15
- Pay unit
- Month
- Alternate ranges
- 3
- State
- Kentucky
- The Commonwealth of Kentucky published pay range for Chaplain is $4,040 to $6,464 per month, spanning every alternate range the plan defines.
- Kentucky publishes an entry rate and a midpoint for each pay grade, not a maximum, so the upper figure on this page is the grade midpoint.
- That works out to about $48,483 to $77,574 a year at full time.
- Kentucky Personnel Cabinet keys this classification as class code 20001155.
- The plan defines 3 alternate ranges for this class, so the rate depends on which criteria an employee meets.
- This is the range the plan authorises, not the salary of any individual employee.
Alternate ranges
| Range | Entry | Midpoint | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range 37.5-hour week | $4,040 | $6,060 | per month |
| Range 40-hour week | $4,310 | $6,464 | per month |
| Range Hourly | $24.86 | $37.30 | per hour |
Which alternate range applies is set by the plan's own criteria (experience, certification or assignment). The criteria text lives in the source document.
Class specification
The Personnel Cabinet class specification for this class is published by Kentucky Personnel Cabinet. The passages below are quoted from it as published, not paraphrased, and cut to their opening sentences; the full specification is the authority on duties and qualifications. It was last revised 12/16/2025.
What the state says the job is
Plans, coordinates and conducts religious services and provides pastoral care to individuals ; and performs other duties as required.
Examples of the work
Plans, coordinates and conducts worship services. Conducts funerals of patients. Conducts religious education classes. Makes regular pastoral ward rounds. Counsels institutionalized persons and their families. Addresses civic and religious groups to interpret the programs of institutions and mental health. Coordinates volunteer services of community religious groups in the institution. Coordinates the work of inmate religious groups. Provides clinical pastoral education for community clergy and seminarians. Completes monthly reports. Provides pastoral care to police officers, dispatchers and their signifigant others prior to and after a critical incident.
Minimum qualifications
EDUCATION: Graduate of a theological or divinity school with a master's or doctorate degree in divinity, theology or a related field. EXPERIENCE, TRAINING, OR SKILLS: NONE Substitute EDUCATION for EXPERIENCE: NONE Substitute EXPERIENCE for EDUCATION: A bachelor's degree plus one year of experience as an ordained minister will substitute for the required education.
Special requirements
Must have certificate of ordination or denominational/ecclesiastical approval. The employee must provide the employing agency's appointing authority documentation of successful completion of a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program within six (6) months of employment in this job classification.
Quoted from the Personnel Cabinet class specification, read 2026-10-21.
Where this comes from
Kentucky Personnel Cabinet publishes this figure in Classified and Unclassified 37.5 and 40-Hour Salary Schedule, effective September 16, 2026. Every number on this page is read from that document; nothing is estimated, modelled or averaged.
Job titles and their pay grades come from the Job Specification Search, joined to the salary schedule.
Nearby classes in Kentucky
Chaplain in other states
| State | Entry | Midpoint | Per year at full time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $39,132 | $65,436 | $39,132 to $65,436 |
| Arkansas | $52,137 | $77,163 | $52,137 to $77,163 |
| Florida | $34,760 | $64,833 | $34,760 to $64,833 |
| Georgia | $35,619 | $56,873 | $35,619 to $56,873 |
| Indiana | $42,900 | $60,112 | $42,900 to $60,112 |
| Iowa | $56,992 | $86,362 | $56,992 to $86,362 |
| Maryland | $63,154 | $99,603 | $63,154 to $99,603 |
| Minnesota | $62,139 | $91,225 | $62,139 to $91,225 |
| Mississippi | $28,542 | $50,161 | $28,542 to $50,161 |
| Nevada | $61,721 | $91,496 | $61,721 to $91,496 |
| New Jersey | $72,896 | $106,798 | $72,896 to $106,798 |
| New Mexico | $22.62 | $33.93 | $47,050 to $70,574 |
Each state publishes its own range for a classification with this exact title. Duties, grade structures and bargaining units differ between states, so read each class page before comparing.