Purohits

The U.S. Department of Labor does not collect salary information for purohits, but it does report that clergy earned salaries that ranged from $35,400 or less to $96,600 or more in May 2024, with median earnings of $58,920.

In India, annual salaries for archakas (male priests) are quite low, and earnings for purohits are usually lower. Some purohits do not receive a salary, but are paid a fee for each ritual or ceremony they perform. Others do not accept pay because they consider their work a “divine calling.”

A full-time Hindu priest in the United States receives paid vacation, sick, and personal days; medical, dental, and life insurance; and a 401(k) retirement plan. Some temples provide year-end bonuses and a vehicle allowance.