The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts average employment growth for clergy in general through 2029. There is a shortage of priests in the Roman Catholic Church, however, with the number of priests having declined by nearly 40 percent since 1970 because of retirement and those leaving the profession for other reasons. Opportunities for positions in the priesthood are increasing and will probably continue to do so for the foreseeable future. In 2019, there were 24,857 diocesan priests and 11,072 religious priests serving the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Both numbers showed a slight decline from 2015. Priests are needed in all areas of the country, but the greatest need is in metropolitan areas that have large Catholic populations and in communities near Catholic educational institutions.
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- Active and Contemplative Religious Sisters and Brothers
- Archakas
- Buddhist Priests and Contemplatives
- Cantors
- Directors of Corporate Sponsorship
- Directors of Fund-Raising
- Directors of Volunteers
- Eastern Orthodox Priests
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Environmental Lobbyists
- Fund-Raisers
- Grant Coordinators and Writers
- Historic Preservationists
- Imams
- Land Acquisition Professionals
- Land Trust or Preserve Managers
- Librarians
- Lobbyists
- Museum Attendants
- Museum Directors and Curators
- Museum Technicians
- Muslim Religious Scholars
- National Park Service Employees
- Nonprofit Social Service Directors
- Park Rangers
- Proposal Managers
- Protestant Ministers
- Public Interest Lawyers
- Public Opinion Researchers
- Public Relations Specialists
- Purohits
- Rabbis
- Social Workers
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors