Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term (SOC 25-3031) earn a median $41,670 a year ($20.03 an hour) in the United States, with 524,770 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Alaska.
What substitute teachers, short-term do
Short-term substitute teachers cover a regular teacher's class as a temporary replacement, typically following the lesson plan the absent teacher left. They take class attendance and keep attendance records, answer students' questions, enforce school and class rules to maintain order, and distribute or collect tests and homework. They also supervise students outside the classroom, at recess, lunch, and on field trips, tutor or assist students individually or in small groups, and teach social skills, including communication, conflict resolution, and manners. Alternate titles show the range of assignments, including building substitute, elementary substitute teacher, English substitute teacher, and ESL substitute. Substitutes who take over a class long-term and perform all of a regular teacher's duties are counted among regular postsecondary or K-12 teachers instead. Paraprofessionals who assist in a classroom are teaching assistants, a separate occupation.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Building Sub, Building Sub Teacher, Certified Sub Teacher, Child Development Sub Teacher, Classroom Sub Teacher.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.73 | $16.43 | $20.03 | $26.39 | $31.63 | $22.32 | 524,770 |
| Annual | $28,560 | $34,170 | $41,670 | $54,890 | $65,790 | $46,420 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where substitute teachers, short-term earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $18.39 | $22.57 | $32.17 | $45.83 | $63.72 | $35.13 | 1,420 | 4.37 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $38,250 | $46,950 | $66,920 | $95,330 | $132,530 | $73,070 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.77 | $23.66 | $28.99 | $32.83 | $37.82 | $30.25 | 115,660 | 6.35 | 1.88 |
| Annual | $39,040 | $49,210 | $60,300 | $68,280 | $78,670 | $62,910 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $21.96 | $22.22 | $28.14 | $28.23 | $29.14 | $26.30 | 3,990 | 6.37 | 1.89 |
| Annual | $45,690 | $46,220 | $58,530 | $58,720 | $60,620 | $54,690 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $26.38 | $27.62 | $28.02 | $31.53 | $35.71 | $29.38 | 8,090 | 4.12 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $54,870 | $57,450 | $58,280 | $65,590 | $74,290 | $61,100 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $22.01 | $24.58 | $26.80 | $29.22 | $32.55 | $27.15 | 14,820 | 4.17 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $45,790 | $51,120 | $55,740 | $60,780 | $67,700 | $56,480 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $18.77 | $23.66 | $28.99 | $32.83 | $37.82 | $30.25 | 115,660 | 6.35 | 1.88 |
| Annual | $39,040 | $49,210 | $60,300 | $68,280 | $78,670 | $62,910 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.87 | $18.10 | $20.91 | $23.75 | $28.85 | $22.96 | 36,090 | 3.73 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $35,090 | $37,650 | $43,490 | $49,400 | $60,010 | $47,760 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $10.99 | $12.84 | $15.41 | $16.63 | $18.79 | $15.75 | 29,150 | 2.07 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $22,870 | $26,700 | $32,040 | $34,580 | $39,090 | $32,760 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.57 | $15.42 | $17.83 | $24.21 | $29.10 | $19.97 | 25,270 | 2.55 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $30,300 | $32,060 | $37,080 | $50,370 | $60,520 | $41,530 | ||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $13.30 | $15.52 | $18.76 | $22.02 | $25.74 | $19.66 | 24,350 | 5.93 | 1.76 |
| Annual | $27,670 | $32,270 | $39,020 | $45,800 | $53,540 | $40,900 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Anchorage, AK | Hourly | $22.57 | $29.75 | $37.90 | $45.83 | $63.72 | $40.95 | 330 | 1.84 | 0.55 |
| Annual | $46,950 | $61,870 | $78,840 | $95,330 | $132,530 | $85,170 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $22.26 | $32.32 | $36.79 | $36.79 | $46.27 | $34.99 | 300 | 3.79 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $46,310 | $67,230 | $76,520 | $76,520 | $96,250 | $72,780 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $23.81 | $29.55 | $34.78 | $36.29 | $37.98 | $33.38 | 3,800 | 3.35 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $49,520 | $61,470 | $72,330 | $75,480 | $79,000 | $69,430 | ||||
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | Hourly | $23.66 | $31.00 | $31.96 | $36.46 | $36.87 | $31.27 | 5,390 | 15.95 | 4.73 |
| Annual | $49,210 | $64,480 | $66,480 | $75,850 | $76,690 | $65,040 | ||||
| Vallejo, CA | Hourly | $23.02 | $30.03 | $31.73 | $34.28 | $38.41 | $32.51 | 700 | 4.87 | 1.44 |
| Annual | $47,890 | $62,460 | $66,000 | $71,300 | $79,880 | $67,620 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.83 | $22.33 | $27.51 | $32.07 | $38.79 | $29.36 | 35,740 | 5.70 | 1.69 |
| Annual | $37,090 | $46,450 | $57,210 | $66,700 | $80,680 | $61,070 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.62 | $18.51 | $21.74 | $23.75 | $28.82 | $23.43 | 26,760 | 2.82 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $34,570 | $38,500 | $45,220 | $49,400 | $59,940 | $48,730 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | $22.61 | $26.32 | $29.22 | $29.72 | $35.71 | $29.33 | 15,430 | 8.99 | 2.66 |
| Annual | $47,030 | $54,750 | $60,780 | $61,810 | $74,290 | $61,010 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $17.12 | $20.03 | $22.34 | $22.86 | $25.74 | $21.84 | 15,060 | 4.80 | 1.42 |
| Annual | $35,620 | $41,670 | $46,470 | $47,540 | $53,540 | $45,420 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $10.00 | $16.28 | $18.91 | $19.18 | $22.07 | $18.20 | 12,070 | 4.18 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $20,800 | $33,870 | $39,340 | $39,890 | $45,900 | $37,860 | ||||
Top industries employing substitute teachers, short-term
Elementary and Secondary Schools employ 77.7% of substitute teachers, short-term nationally (407,590 jobs) at a median $42,890 a year ($20.62 an hour), followed by Employment Services (16.9%) and Child Care Services (1.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 407,590 | 77.7% | $42,890 | $20.62 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 88,930 | 16.9% | $38,870 | $18.69 |
| Child Care Services NAICS 624400 | 9,390 | 1.8% | $35,450 | $17.04 |
| Educational Support Services NAICS 611700 | 9,000 | 1.7% | $37,940 | $18.24 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 2,980 | 0.6% | $56,600 | $27.21 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (524,770). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $30,100 for substitute teachers, short-term in May 2021 and $41,670 in May 2025, with employment of 374,620 and 524,770.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $30,100 | $14.47 | 374,620 |
| May 2022 | $35,250 | $16.95 | 397,200 |
| May 2023 | $37,380 | $17.97 | 444,530 |
| May 2024 | $38,470 | $18.50 | 481,300 |
| May 2025 | $41,670 | $20.03 | 524,770 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska profile | $32.17 | $66,920 | $38,250 | $132,530 | 1,420 | 4.37 | 1.30 |
| 2 | California profile | $28.99 | $60,300 | $39,040 | $78,670 | 115,660 | 6.35 | 1.88 |
| 3 | Hawaii profile | $28.14 | $58,530 | $45,690 | $60,620 | 3,990 | 6.37 | 1.89 |
| 4 | Oregon profile | $28.02 | $58,280 | $54,870 | $74,290 | 8,090 | 4.12 | 1.22 |
| 5 | Washington profile | $26.80 | $55,740 | $45,790 | $67,700 | 14,820 | 4.17 | 1.24 |
| 6 | Minnesota profile | $24.22 | $50,390 | $37,750 | $75,890 | 8,660 | 2.94 | 0.87 |
| 7 | District of Columbia profile | $23.94 | $49,790 | $46,450 | $51,090 | 750 | 1.06 | 0.31 |
| 8 | West Virginia profile | $23.57 | $49,020 | $41,440 | $75,290 | 4,840 | 6.91 | 2.05 |
| 9 | Maryland profile | $22.34 | $46,470 | $32,870 | $47,360 | 7,610 | 2.75 | 0.82 |
| 10 | Rhode Island profile | $21.92 | $45,590 | $36,410 | $60,640 | 1,910 | 3.81 | 1.13 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania profile | $21.57 | $44,870 | $30,470 | $63,930 | 22,360 | 3.69 | 1.09 |
| 12 | Wisconsin profile | $21.13 | $43,950 | $35,740 | $59,890 | 8,420 | 2.86 | 0.85 |
| 13 | New Jersey profile | $21.05 | $43,780 | $34,170 | $58,670 | 17,100 | 3.99 | 1.18 |
| 14 | New York profile | $20.91 | $43,490 | $35,090 | $60,010 | 36,090 | 3.73 | 1.10 |
| 15 | North Dakota profile | $20.47 | $42,570 | $33,780 | $55,080 | 420 | 0.98 | 0.29 |
| 16 | Massachusetts profile | $19.88 | $41,350 | $33,590 | $58,930 | 8,410 | 2.31 | 0.69 |
| 17 | Michigan profile | $18.99 | $39,500 | $29,720 | $61,370 | 3,600 | 0.82 | 0.24 |
| 18 | Illinois profile | $18.95 | $39,410 | $31,200 | $58,040 | 17,220 | 2.82 | 0.84 |
| 19 | Virginia profile | $18.76 | $39,020 | $27,670 | $53,540 | 24,350 | 5.93 | 1.76 |
| 20 | Georgia profile | $18.69 | $38,870 | $20,800 | $45,900 | 16,400 | 3.35 | 0.99 |
| 21 | Arizona profile | $18.51 | $38,500 | $31,170 | $50,290 | 4,710 | 1.46 | 0.43 |
| 22 | Connecticut profile | $18.49 | $38,460 | $35,050 | $63,980 | 5,950 | 3.51 | 1.04 |
| 23 | Vermont profile | $18.37 | $38,200 | $31,470 | $54,120 | 1,400 | 4.60 | 1.36 |
| 24 | Nebraska profile | $18.12 | $37,690 | $28,080 | $61,450 | 3,430 | 3.35 | 0.99 |
| 25 | Maine profile | $18.00 | $37,440 | $31,110 | $49,590 | ** | ** | ** |
| 26 | Iowa profile | $17.90 | $37,230 | $30,980 | $47,770 | 7,300 | 4.68 | 1.39 |
| 27 | Ohio profile | $17.86 | $37,150 | $28,480 | $47,470 | 9,140 | 1.65 | 0.49 |
| 28 | Florida profile | $17.83 | $37,080 | $30,300 | $60,520 | 25,270 | 2.55 | 0.75 |
| 29 | Wyoming profile | $17.79 | $36,990 | $30,600 | $45,590 | 2,230 | 7.94 | 2.35 |
| 30 | Delaware profile | $17.55 | $36,510 | $31,200 | $50,590 | ** | ** | ** |
| 31 | Utah profile | $17.55 | $36,490 | $24,710 | $53,780 | 4,710 | 2.72 | 0.80 |
| 32 | New Mexico profile | $17.50 | $36,400 | $30,170 | $43,960 | 3,510 | 4.03 | 1.19 |
| 33 | Indiana profile | $17.48 | $36,360 | $28,540 | $56,330 | 9,920 | 3.10 | 0.92 |
| 34 | Kansas profile | $17.40 | $36,190 | $28,980 | $44,900 | 9,360 | 6.51 | 1.93 |
| 35 | New Hampshire profile | $16.82 | $34,990 | $28,870 | $46,490 | 1,070 | 1.57 | 0.46 |
| 36 | Missouri profile | $16.73 | $34,790 | $29,220 | $49,850 | 11,480 | 3.91 | 1.16 |
| 37 | Idaho profile | $16.39 | $34,080 | $29,110 | $45,240 | 1,800 | 2.10 | 0.62 |
| 38 | North Carolina profile | $16.24 | $33,780 | $28,390 | $45,040 | 20,360 | 4.12 | 1.22 |
| 39 | Texas profile | $15.41 | $32,040 | $22,870 | $39,090 | 29,150 | 2.07 | 0.61 |
| 40 | South Carolina profile | $14.62 | $30,400 | $22,460 | $78,690 | 7,700 | 3.34 | 0.99 |
| 41 | Kentucky profile | $14.29 | $29,730 | $24,120 | $64,680 | 320 | 0.16 | 0.05 |
| 42 | Tennessee profile | $14.18 | $29,500 | $21,570 | $35,970 | 7,690 | 2.35 | 0.69 |
| 43 | Arkansas profile | $14.05 | $29,230 | $24,440 | $36,040 | 2,560 | 1.97 | 0.58 |
| 44 | Montana profile | $13.49 | $28,050 | $22,930 | $38,230 | 2,370 | 4.63 | 1.37 |
| 45 | South Dakota profile | $13.39 | $27,840 | $25,560 | $34,700 | 1,610 | 3.51 | 1.04 |
| 46 | Louisiana profile | $13.16 | $27,370 | $20,730 | $44,350 | 1,090 | 0.57 | 0.17 |
| 47 | Alabama profile | $12.18 | $25,340 | $18,170 | $30,020 | 9,290 | 4.40 | 1.30 |
| 48 | Nevada profile | $12.00 | $24,960 | $24,960 | $40,620 | 6,600 | 4.26 | 1.26 |
| 49 | Oklahoma profile | $11.43 | $23,770 | $18,300 | $42,550 | 4,990 | 2.93 | 0.87 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $10.74 | $22,340 | $16,430 | $33,320 | 2,390 | 2.06 | 0.61 |
Part of Educational Instruction and Library Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 25-3031 Substitute Teachers, Short-Term.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 25-3031, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-3031.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.