how much does the archbishop of canterbury earn
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s official annual stipend is around £85,000 per year, plus significant non-cash benefits like housing and expenses.
Current stipend and benefits
- The stipend for the Archbishop of Canterbury has been reported at about £85,070 per year in recent years.
- On top of that, the role comes with grace-and-favour housing (including Lambeth Palace in London and a residence at Canterbury) and official expenses for travel and duties, which are paid separately by the Church of England.
- Like other clergy, this stipend is taxable as employment income in the UK.
Quick illustration
Think of the package in two parts:
- Cash pay (stipend) – roughly mid–£80k per year.
- In-kind support – free housing, official car/transport support, and work expenses covered, which substantially increase the overall value of the role even though they are not “salary” in the usual sense.
How this compares to other clergy
Here’s how the Archbishop’s pay sits alongside other Church of England roles:
| Role | Typical annual stipend |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Canterbury | About £85,000 per year, plus housing and official benefits. | [7][5][1]
| Diocesan bishop | About £46,000 per year, plus housing. | [1]
| Parish vicar (benchmark) | About £27,000 per year, with housing provided. | [1]
A bit of wider context
- Discussions online sometimes mix up salary with net worth ; for example, some estimates put Justin Welby’s personal net worth (including inheritance and investments) in the low millions, but that is separate from what the office of Archbishop is paid.
- The Church of England also incurs six‑figure annual costs to maintain bishops’ historic houses and cover their working expenses, which is on top of their stipends.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
