Salary Guide

[David Engle]

I know that it has been asked before but I have not been able to locate
my file on the topic. I am preparing to "retire" from my position as the
volunteer Handbell director of oy church. I have been asked to give some
idea of the salary that we should offer a new handbell director. This
director would probably not be the Director of Music.

The position is part-time and I estimated my time at around 8 hours per
week (which included attending Worship Committee meetings, rehearsals,
one church service per month except for Christmas and Easter), etc., for
9 months.

I would appreciate any assistance or information that is available.

FYI - I looked at the PAM and AGO guides and they were not very helpful.

David  Engle
Director, Handbell Music
Summit Presbyterian Church
Stafford, VA

[Michele Sharik]

Hi David — why were those guides not helpful?

-Michèle

Sent from my iPhone

[Shawn Gingrich]

AGO no longer provides guidelines. They got into legal trouble with the federal trade commission. 

_____________________

Shawn Gingrich

Hershey PA

On Apr 11, 2025, at 8:16 PM, Michele Sharik <michele...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi David — why were those guides not helpful?

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[David Engle]

The last PAM guide I found was dated 2015 and referred mainly to Organists and Directors' of Music. I did not find information just choir directors or handbell directors. The 2015 AGO guide only mentioned Organist/Directors or organist/musicians with degrees.

David

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/handbell-l/8FCDE635-82AD-4950-B27F-8831C0026451%40gmail.com.

[Michele Sharik]

I’ve got the guide from the Anglican Association of Musicians in my desk at work, but I don’t recall the year. It’s been a while since I looked at it.

In the past, I’ve also gone by the PAM guide. What I liked about the PAM guide is that it’s based on a combination of average hours per week and education/equivalent experience. (IIRC, it’s 10 years of experience = the next level of degree?) It also reminds one to account for “invisible hours” - prep work - in addition to “visible hours” like rehearsals or services.

 

It never mattered to me or my churches that it didn’t specifically mention bell choir directors, and why should it? We’re church musicians just like organists or pianists & our job isn’t necessarily easier than theirs, so hours x education/experience is a valid way to pay us, too. :-)

I hope you find what you need for your situation!

-Michèle

 Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 11, 2025, at 17:39, David Engle <deng...@gmail.com> wrote:



The last PAM guide I found was dated 2015 and referred mainly to Organists and Directors' of Music. I did not find information just choir directors or handbell directors. The 2015 AGO guide only mentioned Organist/Directors or organist/musicians with degrees.

David

On 4/11/2025 8:21 PM, Shawn Gingrich wrote:

AGO no longer provides guidelines. They got into legal trouble with the federal trade commission. 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/handbell-l/6b9d50c6-e0de-4440-87fd-c2cf4243dfc2%40gmail.com.

[David Engle]

Thank you Michele. You always seem to have the reasonable answers🙂

David

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[Risë Kagan-Erickson]

I have been bell director at a Methodist church in New Jersey since fall of 2019. We rehearsed through the pandemic, distanced, and recorded something for Zoom worship once a month. I don't remember what my starting salary was, but now it is almost $700/month, with two months off without pay in the summer. I have a Lutheran church  in PA, where I started a bell choir in 2006, took a break starting in 2011, I think. They stopped ringing during the pandemic. Last fall, they asked me to re-establish the bell choir. It's a small congregation; the bell choir has 7 ringers right now. My monthly salary there now is ~$500. At each church, the bell choir typically plays once a month.

That's my range. Hope that helps with your negotiations.

Risë Kagan-Erickson

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[Risë Kagan-Erickson]

Regarding salary range, the Methodist church had a handbell director before me, so they based my salary on that. The Lutheran Church is smaller, and dear to my heart, so we agreed on a salary that they could afford.

Risë

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/handbell-l/33db90aa-9e5b-4514-ac69-8f3c0902109d%40gmail.com.

[David Engle]

Thank you Rise

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/handbell-l/CADaLDU3M-9yodw6S0xz5ZP%2BJo%3DO31Lud5pNjSXePcH1nqUroJA%40mail.gmail.com.