How much does a worship director make in Hawaii?

Estimated salary for a worship director in Hawaii ranges from about $52,360 at a small church to $95,480 at a large one, based on national church-comp data adjusted for Hawaii's cost of living.

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What does a worship director cost a church in Hawaii?

Q: What does a worship director cost a church in Hawaii?

In Hawaii, a worship director costs a church roughly $66,312 to $87,532 per year in total — about $76,259 at a mid-size church (250–499 attendance) — including employer payroll taxes, before benefits. Because this is a non-clergy staff role, the church also pays the employer share of payroll taxes (about 7.65%), so the real cost runs above the salary, before benefits.

The short answer

In Hawaii, a worship director costs a church roughly $66,312–$87,532 per year in total — about $76,259 at a typical mid-size church (250–499 attendance) — including employer payroll taxes, before benefits. Because this is a non-clergy staff role, the church also pays the employer share of payroll taxes (about 7.65%), so the real cost runs above the salary, before benefits.

A worship director carries a rare mix of artistic, technical, and pastoral demands — leading musicians, running the Sunday production, and shaping how a congregation sings. Pay depends heavily on whether the role is part-time and volunteer-supported or a full-time creative lead, and on the size of the weekend it has to carry. (If your worship leader is ordained or licensed, their taxes work differently — the calculator handles that.)

Hawaii's cost of living runs above the national average, which pulls church salaries upward to keep pace (BEA prices Hawaii at 110 versus 100 nationally).

Worship Director cost in Hawaii, by church size

Church size (avg. attendance)	Est. salary	Est. cost to the church
Under 100	$52,360	$56,366
100-249	$61,600	$66,312
250-499	$70,840	$76,259
500-999	$81,312	$87,532
1,000+	$95,480	$102,784

"Cost to the church" = salary + employer payroll tax (≈7.65%) , before retirement, health, or other benefits. Add those — and an optional clergy Social Security allowance — in the calculator.

Salary figures represent estimated cash salary, before employer payroll tax, benefits (retirement, insurance), and any housing allowance.

Benchmarks built on 2024–2025 source data (BEA 2024, BLS May 2025).

These are state-level estimates — costs in Hawaii’s major metros can run meaningfully higher or lower. StaffClarity adjusts for your specific location.

Your church's real number

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Other roles in Hawaii

Senior Pastor in Hawaii Associate Pastor in Hawaii Executive Pastor in Hawaii Youth Pastor in Hawaii Children's Ministry Director in Hawaii Communications Director in Hawaii Operations Director in Hawaii

Worship Director in other states

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How these numbers are built: a national church-comp base for the role, scaled by church size and adjusted for state cost of living, then run through the same fully-loaded cost model our calculator uses. Sources: BEA Regional Price Parities (state cost of living, 2024); BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2025); Lifeway Research / GuideStone SBC Church Compensation Study (biennial, free). Figures are planning estimates, not a guarantee — your church's real numbers depend on experience, scope, and benefits.