Feel worried about missionary salary? It can feel like a mystery, especially because many missionaries rely on support raising to fund their salary. Because missionary salary isn’t a “one size fits all” model, it’s natural to have questions about it.
You may wonder:
- Is there a typical pay range for a missionary?
- Does missionary pay include more than just annual salary?
- How much missionary salary is usually covered by support raising?
While every mission agency is different, this blog will break down the basics of missionary salary and help you ask your agency the right questions about funding your missionary work.
In most cases, you will need to raise support for operation costs and ministry expenses in addition to your missionary salary, your take home pay.
While this post is written from a Western perspective, it’s important for anyone—regardless of background—to ask their agency about its policies on these topics.
First, let’s see what missionary salary can mean when you read a missionary job posting.
Understanding Your Missionary Salary
As you discern God’s calling on your life, consider how God wants you to steward His gifts. His gifts often connect directly to the roles and opportunities you’ll find in missions.
If you want to be a missionary, you’ve probably already started searching for Christian missionary jobs on the internet.
When mission agencies list job postings on their website, they typically include details like:
- Job title
- Years of experience necessary
- Location of service
- Ministry focus and opportunities
Check a missionary job posting first to see if the role is paid or relies on support raising.
When a job posting uses the words paid or salaried, it usually means your sending agency or evangelical non profit organization will cover the cost of your salary and expenses.
Alternatively, when a job posting says “donor funded” or “support raised,” this usually means that you will need to fundraise 100% of the money you need for the role.
If you accept a missionary job that requires fundraising, you will rely on monetary donations from churches and individuals to pay monthly salary and additional living expenses.
Most paid or salaried roles in mission agencies involve administrative or financial (office) work at headquarters.
Related: Support Ministries at International Project
You can expect that most “on the field” missionary roles will involve support raising your missionary salary.
With that in mind, let’s learn how missionary salary is determined and what the average missionary salary could be.
What Is a Typical Missionary Salary?
Full time missionary salary varies by organization or denomination.
The cost of living in your field location most significantly determines your missionary salary. After that, family size can also account for significant variance between the average salary for different missionaries.
For example, a missionary living in a rural area of Southeast Asia is likely to have a lower salary than a missionary living in a North American city.
Similarly, missionary families will typically have a higher salary than single missionaries simply because their living expenses will be higher.
It’s important to have realistic expectations about how much money you will make as a missionary.
In a ministry service role, you may not have the highest paying job compared to others, but your sending agency will determine a wage that is appropriate for your location.
As a missionary, you need not be in the highest or lowest economic percentile in any given location, but should have enough to cover your living expenses, as well as save for the your future as a full time missionary.
Good stewardship of God’s resources ensures you live sustainably while focusing on ministry.
So, what is included in a missionary salary? Read on for more insight.
What Is Usually Covered (or Not) By Missionary Salary?
While a missionary salary will cover most of your regular expenses, it usually doesn’t cover everything.
The base salary for a missionary job is meant to primarily cover your day to day living expenses.
This includes things like:
- Rent and utilities
- Food
- Transportation expenses
- Health and hygiene items
- Incidentals
Your missionary salary would typically be comparable to the national average salary in your area of service.
Because every missionary organization is different, be sure to ask your sending agency if your salary will include:
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Retirement
- Social security
- College savings for children
Not every organization will include these expenses, but if they are important to you, make sure you ask!
As you discern your calling, it’s good to have clarity on your sending organization’s policies.
The examples and numbers in this post come primarily from an American/Western perspective, that include certain expenses—like insurance, retirement, or housing. That said, not all missionaries will need to raise the same amount of support.
Every missionary’s situation, calling, and risk tolerance are different. Some feel called to live with very simple means, foregoing certain comforts or insurances to trust God in radical ways. Others may sense the need to plan more conservatively, ensuring provision for family, health, and long-term sustainability.
There’s no single “right” amount to raise—only what is right for your context and conviction. The key is to live both faithfully and strategically, trusting God’s provision while making wise, prayerful decisions about what you and your family need.
Ministry Expenses
In addition to your average salary, expect to have regular expenses directly related to the ministry you are doing. Some organizations will refer to these as “business expenses.”
It is typical that you would get reimbursed for certain ministry expenses and receive these funds in addition to your salary.
Here are some ministry (business) expenses for missionaries to ask about:
- Internet
- Phone
- Books for professional or spiritual development
- Office supplies (paper, ink, etc.)
- Postage + printing
- Conferences + retreats
- Supplies for ministry events or outreaches (Bibles, tracts, etc.)
- Business meals + entertainment (with explanation for specific ministry purpose noted)
Your annual salary likely won’t cover those expenses. Although expensable, those additional expenses will still need to be raised by donor support. In most cases, they can be repaid to you in addition to your salary.
Expenses Beyond Missionary Salary and Ministry Expenses
There are additional missionary living expenses that are generally not included in an average missionary salary.
If you will be donor funded, plan to fundraise for these expenses as well.
Some additional expenses will occur regularly, while others will be one time costs.
Regular Ministry Costs
Here are a few examples of additional ministry expenses that you could incur regularly:
- Administrative/operations fees – typically 5-15% deducted by your sending agency to cover your fundraising platform, mentoring, human resources, etc.)
- Children’s expenses – cost of private schooling or homeschool curriculum, extracurriculars
- Travel costs – to return to your home country on leave (“furlough”) every 1-3 years
- Government taxes – paying into the systems in your home country like federal employment and self employment taxes
Initial One Time Ministry Expenses
Here are examples of one time ministry expenses you could incur when first leaving for the mission field:
- Plane tickets to your field location
- Deposits for housing
- Furniture for a new home
- Car or van (if needed)
Missionary lives are complex. In most circumstances, a missionary moves to a new location (often a new country) to start their missionary service. These costly transitions usually fall outside a typical salary.
No need to worry, though—your sending agency will break down these costs for you and let you know what you need before you leave for the mission field.
Wondering about where missionary salary and additional funding comes from? Let’s take a look!
Do You Need to Raise Your Own Missionary Salary?
Most long term missionaries will be “donor funded.” This means that they rely on support raising to fund their ministry on the mission field.
Fundraising for long term missions is very similar to the process many people do for short term mission trips.
The best practice for raising support from donors is to share your ministry vision and need for funding in a 1 on 1 conversation. This face to face meeting is the perfect chance to share your calling and ministry vision with potential supporters.
Related: Mission Trip Fundraising Ideas
Remember, your annual salary or salary range will vary depending on your sending organization or denomination.
This is also true for how missionaries make their support goals.
Many missionaries get paid monthly, but you will need to ask your organization for the specifics of how you will receive your missionary support.
Supplementing Your Missionary Salary
In some cases, it may be possible for you to supplement your missionary salary with additional income from other work.
The Apostle Paul worked as a tentmaker while engaged in missionary service, and some missionaries still work as tentmakers (also known as bivocational missionaries) today.
The calling God places on every missionary is unique. You will need to seek the Lord for the specific funding plan He has for you in each season.
Here are some examples of ways missionaries might supplement their missionary salary:
- Renting their house (in their home country) as a vacation or monthly rental property
- Working remotely for an organization in their home country
- Working full time for a school, non profit, or other company on the mission field
Don’t consider it a failure if you work a part time or full time job in addition to your missionary service.
In fact, bivocational work often opens doors for you to meet ministry contacts. This is especially true if you are working a job alongside people you are hoping to reach with the Gospel!
Consider Stipends and Scholarships
Depending on the type of missionary training or missionary service you are doing, you may receive what is known as a “stipend” instead of a salary. This is usually true of a short term program or internship.
A stipend is a set amount of funding given for a particular period of time. It is meant to cover the cost of living expenses while engaged in a missionary service program.
Some organizations provide scholarships to cover the cost of short term or mid term mission work.
Our 2 Month Summer Internship in New York City offers full or partial scholarships to cover living expenses while serving as an intern. These scholarships are available on a first come, first serve basis, so it’s important to apply right away if you are interested!
Whether it’s through tentmaking, receiving a stipend or scholarship, or fundraising for missions, there are many options to get the funding you need for the mission field.
Raise Your Missionary Salary with Help from Our Free eBook!
Between missionary salary, ministry expenses, and additional costs, it can take a lot of funding to live as a missionary. But God is faithful to provide the financial support missionaries need!
As you discern God’s call for your life, remember to balance His provision with wise planning for your future ministry.
If you’re considering becoming a missionary, we have a great FREE resource to help you get your funding below! It’s called The Ultimate Guide to Missions Fundraising and it’s full of wisdom on how to do support raising for ministry.
With this FREE eBook, you can learn to:
- Inspire your local church to partner with you
- Craft stories that inspire new donors
- Present your missions vision with confidence
God has provided for countless missionaries raising their missionary salary—and He can for you too!
Fill out the form to download this FREE eBook and learn the best practices for missionary fundraising!
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