Chaplain

As a chaplain, you'll provide support, guidance, and practical help to people with and without faith, often during times of crisis or personal difficulties. This can include:

• anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions
• bereavement
• emotional issues
• illness
• relationship problems.

Many chaplains in large organisations work as part of a full chaplaincy team that covers a range of faiths, known as a multi-faith chaplaincy. Larger teams are often found in hospitals, universities and prisons.

It's also possible for humanists and other non-religious people to work in chaplaincies as non-religious pastoral support workers.

Types of chaplaincy work

Chaplains work in a range of settings, including:

• community-based work, including community churches, as well as commercial sites, such as airports
• hospitals and other health and social care establishments, such as residential care homes and hospices
• industry, especially for large companies that employ chaplains
• prisons and the police service
• sports organisations, especially for football, cricket, and rugby teams
• the armed forces
• universities, schools and colleges.

What does a chaplain do?

As a chaplain, you'll typically need to:

• provide religious support and opportunities for worship to individuals with faith, particularly where they are unable to attend their usual place of worship, such as if they're in hospital
• plan and lead worship, prayer, and other faith-specific meetings
• provide counselling, as well as spiritual and pastoral support on a one-to-one basis to individuals of different faiths (or no faith)
• where applicable, provide advice, and spiritual and emotional support to families, relatives, friends, and carers (for example, to families of armed services personnel or to relatives of those in hospital or hospices)
• support staff in secular organisations, including prisons, hospitals, and universities
• collaborate closely in multi-faith chaplaincies with chaplains from other beliefs
• build links with, and make referrals to, relevant local agencies and community faith leaders that can help, such as when prisoners are released
• respond quickly, but safely, in situations where safeguarding issues might arise
• undertake administrative tasks, keep accurate records, collect and analyse data, and write reports
• contribute to the development of your organisation's policies, practices, and procedures in terms of religious, spiritual, and pastoral care in order to improve the service
• work within an environment governed by standards of conduct and behaviour
• with experience, contribute to the training of other chaplains, volunteers, and staff, and provide mentoring to others
• ensure you take time to maintain and develop your own spiritual wellbeing.

How much does a chaplain earn?

Salaries vary depending upon the size and type of the employing institution. For example, the NHS, army, hospital, prison, and university chaplains usually follow set pay scales, whereas community chaplains may work part time and only receive minimum wage or expenses.

Examples include:

• Salaries for chaplains working in the NHS typically start at £28,407 and at Band 5, according to the NHS Agenda for Change pay rates. Chaplain team leaders can earn between £39,959 (Band 6) and £56,515 (Band 7), depending on experience.
• Salaries for assistant chaplains in universities are around £30,000 on average
• Prison service chaplains can earn around £39,000.

For chaplains in the Armed Forces, salary details can be found on the Armed Forces Pay Review 2026. Some chaplains are employed on a voluntary basis, while others work part time, which might include being in another role. Many police chaplains, for example, are volunteers. For more information, see Police Chaplaincy UK.

Where roles require regular, unsocial hours, payment at the approved organisation rate will be made in addition to basic pay.

How many hours does a chaplain work?

You'll typically work a 37.5 hour week. This may include evenings, nights, weekends, and bank holidays as part of a rota system. This may be the case if, for example, you work in a healthcare or prison service setting.

There are opportunities for part-time work, job sharing, and flexible hours. Your working day is likely to vary to some extent, depending on the sector you’re in or if you're part of a multi-faith chaplaincy.

How do I become a chaplain?

Chaplains come from a range of mainstream faiths and usually have a degree or other professional qualification, as well as experience of leading in their own faith community. You'll also need experience of pastoral and spiritual care.

Christian chaplains, for example, typically have a theological, divinity, or religious studies qualification, usually at degree level, as well as ordination or ministerial training and experience in group work and pastoral care. However, there may be some roles which are open to people who have relevant equivalent experience.

There are similar training and experience requirements to become a Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim or Sikh chaplain. You'll also need to be a recognised authority within your faith community.

Some chaplaincy positions are subject to an enhanced criminal records check.

The armed forces employ chaplains and non-religious pastoral officers. Entry requirements for both roles vary slightly depending on which branch you apply to. However, you must be accredited, registered, ordained, or licensed by the endorsing authority of your faith and belief tradition, as well as having at least two to three years full-time (or part-time equivalent) post-accreditation pastoral experience in a leadership role.

For more information on becoming an armed forces chaplain, see:

• British Army
• Royal Air Force
• Royal Navy

There are also a growing number of opportunities to work as a non-religious pastoral support worker. Training and further information is available through the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network (NRPSN). You can also study for an MA in Pastoral Care: Existential and Humanist Practice at the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling.

What skills does a chaplain need?

You'll need to have:

• excellent listening, communication, and interpersonal skills in order to build relationships with the people you're helping, which includes being empathetic and respectful
• an understanding and willingness to engage with people of all cultures, faith groups, as well as those with no religion, whose needs may be complex or sensitive
• the ability to act with calmness, patience, tolerance, and integrity in times of stress
• a strong commitment to people who become vulnerable, and an understanding of the factors affecting their lives, which includes an understanding of safeguarding and confidentiality
• presentation and report writing skills
• resilience and the ability to deal with unforeseen situations
• self-awareness and reflective skills, as well as the ability to keep your own well-being in-mind.

Where can I get chaplaincy work experience?

To become a chaplain, you'll need to gain relevant experience before entering a junior position, as the role is not usually open to those who have just obtained a degree. This even includes relevant disciplines, such as theology or Islamic studies.

As well as familiarity with planning and leading worship, prayer, or related faith activities, you'll also need experience, either paid or voluntary, of working with people in a caring, counselling, or pastoral capacity.

Types of relevant experience include youth work, personal counselling, careers work, teaching, care work or social work.

Volunteer chaplain and chaplaincy support positions are widely available with, for example, hospitals, hospices, residential care homes, prison services and police services.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Who employs chaplains?

Most opportunities are in the public, voluntary, and not-for-profit sector. The main employers of chaplains in the UK are:

• hospices
• the NHS
• the police and fire service
• the prison service
• universities.

Other settings include sports teams, such as the Sports Chaplaincy UK and the armed forces.

Smaller employers include schools and colleges, housing associations, residential care homes and community organisations. There are also limited opportunities for workplace chaplaincy with large industrial and commercial organisations.

Look for jobs at:

• British Army Jobs, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy Careers
• Jobs.ac.uk - for roles in universities.
• Ministry of Justice HM Prison Service Jobs
• NHS Jobs
• Police Chaplaincy UK

You can also find opportunities through individual institutions, such as sports teams, universities and schools.

Where can a career in chaplaincy lead?

You may start as an assistant in a chaplaincy before moving into a chaplain role. With experience, you could apply for more senior roles, such as team leader or coordinator of a multi-faith chaplaincy.

There are a smaller number of management roles available, which usually occur in the larger multi-faith chaplaincies and spiritual services. You'll need leadership skills and the ability to coordinate and manage a team of chaplains, assistant chaplains, and volunteers.

Opportunities will depend on the area you work in, and you may have to move jobs in order to progress. There's usually less scope for progression into team leading and management roles in smaller-scale settings, such as schools and community organisations.

The pastoral and counselling skills that chaplains develop are transferable to other related roles in hospitals, prisons, universities, and community organisations. With further training, you could move into a counselling or teaching role.

Chaplains in the armed forces receive a comprehensive in-service training programme when recruited. Induction, training, and continuing professional development (CPD) programmes are also available in other sectors, such as education, health, the police and prisons.

You'll also need to continue developing your faith, spiritual knowledge, and pastoral skills throughout your career. Opportunities are often provided by individual faith organisations.

You may choose to study at postgraduate level to develop your skills and knowledge further. As well as general chaplaincy courses, there are courses available in particular sectors of chaplaincy, such as healthcare and schools. It may also be useful to study for a qualification in counselling.

Search postgraduate chaplaincy courses.

Non-religious pastoral support workers can work towards accreditation from the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network (NRPSN). Once accredited, they should carry out ongoing CPD and any additional training expected by the organisation they work for.

There's a UK voluntary register of healthcare chaplains that is maintained by the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy (UKBHC) and accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). To register, you'll need a qualification relevant to your faith community or belief group and a postgraduate qualification in healthcare chaplaincy. For a list of accredited programmes see UKBHC.

It can be useful to join a professional body or network relevant to your area of chaplaincy, if available. They provide a wealth of networking opportunities, resources and conferences, events, study days and training.

Examples include:

• College of Health Care Chaplains (CHCC)
• Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network (NRPSN)
• The Community Chaplaincy Association (CCA)