The median pay for Substitute Teachers, Short-Term is $41,670 a year ($20.03/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 2.0% through 2035, with about 65,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 25-3031
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Substitute Teacher, Short-Term in four numbers
- Median pay
- $41,670a year, or $20.03/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $29KTop 10% $66K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.0%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 65,000556,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025556.1K
- Projected 2035567K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 556.1K Projected 2035 567K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school10.1%
- Some college10.4%
- Associate's34.6%
- Bachelor's39.7%
- Post-bacc certificate0.5%
- Master's4.6%
Highest education held by substitute teachers, short-term Segment Value High school 10.1% Some college 10.4% Associate's 34.6% Bachelor's 39.7% Post-bacc certificate 0.5% Master's 4.6%
Also advertised as: Building Sub (Building Substitute), Building Sub Teacher (Building Substitute Teacher), Child Development Sub Teacher (Child Development Substitute Teacher), ESL Sub (English as a Second Language Substitute), HS Sub Teacher (High School Substitute Teacher), Pre-School Sub Teacher (Pre-School Substitute Teacher).
Pay
How much do Substitute Teachers, Short-Term make?
Every substitute teacher, short-term in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$41,670
Middle half earn $34,170 to $54,890
- 10th
- $28,560
- 25th
- $34,170
- 75th
- $54,890
- 90th
- $65,790
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $28,560 |
| 25th | $34,170 |
| Median | $41,670 |
| 75th | $54,890 |
| 90th | $65,790 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $41,670
- Median hourly wage
- $20.03/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $46,420
- People employed
- 524,770
Versus all US occupations
At $41,670, Substitute Teachers, Short-Term earn 18% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $9,310 a year.
Versus educational instruction and library occupations
Inside the Educational Instruction and Library group, where the middle occupation pays $68,270, this is 39% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $65,790 or more while the bottom 10% earn $28,560, a gap of 2.3×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 9% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Alaska pays the most at $66,920, and still leads at $65,378 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Substitute Teachers, Short-Term the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Alaska | $66,920 | $65,378 | 1,420 |
| 2California | $60,300 | $54,462 | 115,660 |
| 3Hawaii | $58,530 | $53,233 | 3,990 |
| 4Oregon | $58,280 | $56,385 | 8,090 |
| 5Washington | $55,740 | $52,087 | 14,820 |
| 6Minnesota | $50,390 | $51,095 | 8,660 |
| 7District of Columbia | $49,790 | $45,304 | 750 |
| 8West Virginia | $49,020 | $54,773 | 4,840 |
| 9Maryland | $46,470 | $44,274 | 7,610 |
| 10Rhode Island | $45,590 | $44,574 | 1,910 |
Job outlook
Is Substitute Teacher, Short-Term a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +2.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Substitute Teachers, Short-Term | +2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Substitute Teachers, Short-Term to change 2.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 10,900 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 65,000 openings are projected each year, 11.7% of the 556,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Substitute Teacher, Short-Term
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as substitute teachers, short-term.
- Bachelor's Degree39.7%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree34.6%
- Some College Courses10.4%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)10.1%
- Master's Degree4.6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 39.7% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 34.6% |
| Some College Courses | 10.4% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 10.1% |
| Master's Degree | 4.6% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Substitute Teacher, Short-Term do?
Teach students on a short-term basis as a temporary replacement for a regular classroom teacher, typically using the regular teacher's lesson plan.
Day-to-day tasks
- Answer students' questions.
- Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.
- Enforce school and class rules to maintain order in the classroom.
- Operate equipment such as computers or audio-visual aids to supplement presentations.
- Distribute or collect tests or homework assignments.
- Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students.
- Follow lesson plans designed by absent teachers.
- Teach social skills to students, such as communication, conflict resolution, and etiquette.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes are not usually serious.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension3.6
- Active Listening3.6
- Speaking3.6
- Critical Thinking3.4
- Monitoring3.4
- Writing3.1
- Learning Strategies3.1
- Active Learning3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.6 |
| Active Listening | 3.6 |
| Speaking | 3.6 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.4 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.5
- Instructing3.4
- Time Management3.1
- Service Orientation3.0
- Coordination2.9
- Persuasion2.9
- Complex Problem Solving2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.5 |
| Instructing | 3.4 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 2.9 |
| Persuasion | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Computer based training software
- Desktop communications software
- Multi-media educational software
- Project management software
- Video conferencing software
- Video creation and editing software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Substitute Teacher, Short-Term?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Substitute Teacher, Short-Term |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 7 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Social6.7
- Conventional3.6
- Artistic3.4
- Investigative2.5
- Enterprising2.5
- Realistic2.2
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Substitute Teacher, Short-Term
O*NET related occupations
- Educational Instruction and Library
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructor
$61,540median a year
Most earn $42K to $98K
−13.9%Bachelor's - Educational Instruction and Library
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School
$74,260median a year
Most earn $50K to $109K
−0.2%Bachelor's - Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
More educational instruction and library careers
Median annual pay, with substitute teachers, short-term highlighted
- Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary$80,250
- Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$74,260
- Librarian$68,270
- Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School$66,270
- Kindergarten Teacher$62,680
- Library Technician$44,580
- Tutor$43,350
- Substitute Teacher, Short-Term$41,670
- Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education$38,140
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary | $80,250 |
| Special Education Teacher, Secondary School | $74,260 |
| Librarian | $68,270 |
| Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School | $66,270 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $62,680 |
| Library Technician | $44,580 |
| Tutor | $43,350 |
| Substitute Teacher, Short-Term | $41,670 |
| Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education | $38,140 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Substitute Teacher, Short-Term appears on
Questions
Substitute Teacher, Short-Term: frequently asked questions
How much do Substitute Teachers, Short-Term make?
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term earn a median of $41,670 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 18% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $20.03/hr. The middle half earn between $34,170 and $54,890. The top 10% earn $65,790 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Substitute Teacher, Short-Term?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Substitute Teachers, Short-Term, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 39.7% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Substitute Teacher, Short-Term a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 2.0% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 65,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Substitute Teacher, Short-Term do?
Teach students on a short-term basis as a temporary replacement for a regular classroom teacher, typically using the regular teacher's lesson plan. A core O*NET task: answer students' questions. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Substitute Teachers, Short-Term the most?
The highest state medians for Substitute Teachers, Short-Term are Alaska ($66,920), California ($60,300), Hawaii ($58,530) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Substitute Teacher, Short-Term?
O*NET scores Substitute Teachers, Short-Term highest on the Social, Conventional and Artistic interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFJ, ESFP, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.