H-1B Clergy Role: Limited Petitions, High Employer Concentration
Explore H-1B visa filings for Clergy. View sponsoring employers, salary data from 100 filings, and approval rates from DOL public records.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total H-1B Petitions | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 99% |
| Average Salary | $56,874 |
| Salary Range | $34,195 - $103,850 |
| Top Sponsor | Roman Catholic Archdiocese Of Los Angeles |
| Primary Location | California |
Clergy is one of the H-1B visa categories with 52 filings and an average salary of $57,303. The 'Clergy' role is a niche H-1B occupation with a very small number of petitions. The vast majority of petitions are for new employment, with very few extensions or continuations. There's a significant disparity between the number of petitions filed and the number of unique employers. The average salary offered is slightly higher than the median salary, suggesting some higher-paying positions.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 99% |
| Average Salary | $56,874 |
| Median Salary | $55,078 |
| 25th Percentile | $46,331 |
| 75th Percentile | $64,000 |
| Minimum Salary | $34,195 |
| Maximum Salary | $103,850 |
| 10th Percentile | $40,200 |
| 25th Percentile | $46,331 |
| Median (50th) | $55,078 |
| 75th Percentile | $64,000 |
| 90th Percentile | $80,711 |
| Average | $56,874 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 92 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 4 |
| H-1B1 CHILE | 3 |
| H-1B1 SINGAPORE | 1 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| California | 18 |
| Ohio | 8 |
| Massachusetts | 8 |
| New York | 7 |
| New Jersey | 6 |
| Georgia | 6 |
| Washington | 3 |
| Minnesota | 3 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 |
| Florida | 3 |
Given the extremely limited H-1B data for Clergy roles, focus on demonstrating unique qualifications and the critical need for your services to potential employers.
The average H-1B salary for Clergy is $57,303, with a median of $55,078. The 25th-75th percentile range is $46,883 to $67,614.
Top H-1B sponsors for Clergy include ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES, ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF PATERSON, Kentucky-Tennessee Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, OHIO CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS, Oklahoma Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. A total of 39 employers have filed for this role.
There are 52 H-1B filings on record for Clergy positions. 98.1% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Clergy positions are California (7), New York (5), Ohio (4), New Jersey (4), Kentucky (3).
Yes, Clergy is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 52 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Clergy salaries range from $34,195 to $91,502. The median salary is $55,078.
The approval rate for Clergy H-1B petitions is 98.1%. Only 52 petitions were filed for the 'Clergy' role.
The number of unique employers (51) is almost equal to the number of petitions, indicating most employers filed only one petition.
Given the extremely limited H-1B data for Clergy roles, focus on demonstrating unique qualifications and the critical need for your services to potential employers.
The data shows a dramatic increase in petitions from FY2022 (1) to FY2025 (51), suggesting a recent surge or a data anomaly.
The Clergy occupation (SOC code 21-201100) is classified under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SOC system groups workers into occupational categories based on the type of work performed, providing a standardized framework for comparing wages, employment levels, and workforce trends across the United States.
Clergy positions fall within the specialty occupation category required for H-1B visa sponsorship, meaning they typically require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in the specific specialty. Based on H-1B filing data, the most common education requirement for Clergy positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Clergy positions show an average offered salary of $56,874, with a range from $34,195 at the entry level to $103,850 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in California (18 filings) and Ohio (8 filings).
Career outlook for Clergy professionals is closely tied to industry demand for specialized skills. Employers sponsoring H-1B workers for this role are demonstrating that they could not find sufficient qualified U.S. workers to fill these positions, which often signals strong demand and competitive compensation. Workers in this occupation may also be eligible for other visa categories including L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 extraordinary ability visas, or employment-based green card sponsorship through the PERM process.
To sponsor a foreign worker for an H-1B visa in a Clergy role, U.S. employers must satisfy several requirements established by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and enforced by both the Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
The position must qualify as a "specialty occupation," meaning it requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a specific specialty directly related to the position. For Clergy roles, H-1B filings indicate that employers most commonly require a Not Specified degree. USCIS evaluates whether the position itself, not just the employer's preference, genuinely requires specialized education.
Employers must pay H-1B workers at least the prevailing wage for the occupation in the geographic area of employment, as determined by the DOL. The prevailing wage is based on four skill levels (Level 1 through Level 4) that reflect the complexity of the job duties and required experience. For Clergy positions, the average offered salary of $56,874 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 9.7%, with 64% of filings offering above the prevailing wage.
Before filing the H-1B petition, employers must obtain a certified LCA from the DOL. The LCA requires employers to attest to four conditions: (1) paying at least the prevailing wage or actual wage, whichever is higher; (2) providing working conditions that do not adversely affect similarly employed U.S. workers; (3) no strike or lockout at the worksite; and (4) proper notice of the filing to workers. The overall LCA approval rate for Clergy positions is 99%.
The annual H-1B cap is set at 65,000 regular visas plus 20,000 for beneficiaries with U.S. master's degrees or higher (the "master's cap"). Certain employers, including institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations, are exempt from the cap. Clergy positions at cap-exempt employers can be filed at any time during the year, while cap-subject employers must participate in the annual H-1B lottery, typically held in March for the following fiscal year.
H-1B visas are initially granted for up to three years and can be extended for a maximum of six years total. Workers who have an approved I-140 immigrant petition (part of the green card process) may be eligible for extensions beyond the six-year limit under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21). The average contract duration for Clergy H-1B filings is approximately 35 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Clergy positions.