Teach students on a short-term basis as a temporary replacement for a regular classroom teacher, typically using the regular teacher’s lesson plan. Excludes long-term substitute teachers who perform all the duties of a regular teacher; these teachers are coded within the 25-1000 or 25-2000 minor groups.
National median · BLS
$41,670
▲ +8.32%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$46,420
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
524,770
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$28,560
25th
$34,170
Median (50th)
$41,670
75th
$54,890
90th — top pay
$65,790
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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⇄
Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
BLS projects employment of substitute teachers, short-term to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 65,000 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
556,100 → 567,000
+10,900 jobs
Projected change
+2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
65,000
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
5.2% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Substitute Teachers, Short-Term salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Skills & tools
Skills needed for Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Active Listening3.6
Reading Comprehension3.6
Speaking3.6
Social Perceptiveness3.5
Critical Thinking3.4
Instructing3.4
Monitoring3.4
Learning Strategies3.1
Time Management3.1
Writing3.1
Top knowledge areas
English Language4.1
Education and Training3.3
Public Safety and Security3.2
Customer and Personal Service3.0
Computers and Electronics2.9
Mathematics2.8
Psychology2.8
Communications and Media2.5
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookCommon CurriculumEasyCBMEdmodoFlipgridGoogle ClassroomGoogle MeetInstructure CanvasMoodleNearpodSchoologySeesaw
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What substitute teachers, short-term do
Enforce school and class rules to maintain order in the classroom.
Answer students' questions.
Follow lesson plans designed by absent teachers.
Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.
Supervise students during activities outside the classroom, such as recess, lunch, and field trips.
Teach social skills to students, such as communication, conflict resolution, and etiquette.
Tutor or assist students individually or in small groups.
Distribute or collect tests or homework assignments.
Also called
Building Sub (Building Substitute)Short-Term Sub Teacher (Short-Term Substitute Teacher)Sub (Substitute)Sub Teacher (Substitute Teacher)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)
More job titles for this occupation (16)
Certified Sub Teacher (Certified Substitute Teacher)Classroom Sub Teacher (Classroom Substitute Teacher)Elementary Sub Teacher (Elementary Substitute Teacher)English Sub Teacher (English Substitute Teacher)K-12 Sub Teacher (Kindergarten to 12th Grade Substitute Teacher)K-12 Substitute Teacher (K-12 Sub Teacher)School Sub Teacher (School Substitute Teacher)Sub Aide (Substitute Aide)Sub Educator (Substitute Educator)Sub Enrichment Teacher (Substitute Enrichment Teacher)Sub Instructor (Substitute Instructor)Sub Para (Substitute Paraprofessional)Sub TA (Substitute Teacher Assistant)Sub TA (Substitute Teaching Assistant)Sub Vocational Instructor (Substitute Vocational Instructor)Substitute Preschool Teacher (Sub Preschool Teacher)
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Substitute Teachers, Short-Term, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $41,670.
