How much do substitute teachers make?

Substitute Teacher salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Substitute Teachers, Short-Term (SOC 25-3031) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Substitute teachers in the US earned a median of $41,670 a year ($20.03 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $34,170 to $54,890.

Median annual pay: $41,670; Mean $46,420
Median hourly pay: $20.03; Mean $22.32
Typical range (10th–90th): $28.6K–$65.8K; $28,560 to $65,790
US jobs: 524,770; +2.0% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a substitute teacher: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Alaska

Substitute Teacher pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$28,560
25th percentile$34,170
Median$41,670
75th percentile$54,890
90th percentile$65,790

Half of all substitute teachers earned more than $41,670 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $28,560; the top 10% made over $65,790. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $34,170 to $54,890.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$28,560	$13.73	$2,380
25th	$34,170	$16.43	$2,848
Median (50th)	$41,670	$20.03	$3,473
75th	$54,890	$26.39	$4,574
90th	$65,790	$31.63	$5,483
Mean (average)	$46,420	$22.32	$3,868

Substitute Teacher salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for substitute teachers by state. Darker tiles pay more. A dash means BLS did not publish a figure.

Highest-paying states

1. Alaska $66,920
2. California $60,300
3. Hawaii $58,530
4. Oregon $58,280
5. Washington $55,740

Lowest-paying states

50. Mississippi $22,340
49. Oklahoma $23,770
48. Nevada $24,960
47. Alabama $25,340
46. Louisiana $27,370

Best after cost of living: Alaska. Its median of $66,920 is worth about $65,378 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$25,340	47	$28,529	47	$12.18	9,290	4.40
Alaska	$66,920	1	$65,378	1	$32.17	1,420	4.37
Arizona	$38,500	21	$38,241	31	$18.51	4,710	1.46
Arkansas	$29,230	43	$33,622	38	$14.05	2,560	1.97
California	$60,300	2	$54,462	4	$28.99	115,660	6.35
Colorado	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Connecticut	$38,460	22	$37,120	32	$18.49	5,950	3.51
Delaware	$36,510	30	$36,580	34	$17.55	—	—
District of Columbia	$49,790	7	$45,304	11	$23.94	750	1.06
Florida	$37,080	28	$35,856	35	$17.83	25,270	2.54
Georgia	$38,870	20	$40,366	17	$18.69	16,400	3.35
Hawaii	$58,530	3	$53,233	5	$28.14	3,990	6.37
Idaho	$34,080	37	$35,688	37	$16.39	1,800	2.10
Illinois	$39,410	18	$39,427	24	$18.95	17,220	2.82
Indiana	$36,360	33	$38,959	27	$17.48	9,920	3.10
Iowa	$37,230	26	$42,422	14	$17.90	7,300	4.68
Kansas	$36,190	34	$40,181	20	$17.40	9,360	6.51
Kentucky	$29,730	41	$32,975	41	$14.29	320	0.16
Louisiana	$27,370	46	$31,029	45	$13.16	1,090	0.57
Maine	$37,440	25	$38,578	29	$18.00	—	—
Maryland	$46,470	9	$44,274	13	$22.34	7,610	2.75
Massachusetts	$41,350	16	$39,099	25	$19.88	8,410	2.31
Michigan	$39,500	17	$41,053	16	$18.99	3,600	0.82
Minnesota	$50,390	6	$51,095	7	$24.22	8,660	2.94
Mississippi	$22,340	50	$25,692	49	$10.74	2,390	2.06
Missouri	$34,790	36	$38,308	30	$16.73	11,480	3.91
Montana	$28,050	44	$29,637	46	$13.49	2,370	4.63
Nebraska	$37,690	24	$41,830	15	$18.12	3,430	3.35
Nevada	$24,960	48	$24,965	50	$12.00	6,600	4.26
New Hampshire	$34,990	35	$33,591	39	$16.82	1,070	1.56
New Jersey	$43,780	13	$40,237	19	$21.05	17,100	3.99
New Mexico	$36,400	32	$39,474	23	$17.50	3,510	4.03
New York	$43,490	14	$40,298	18	$20.91	36,090	3.73
North Carolina	$33,780	38	$35,812	36	$16.24	20,360	4.12
North Dakota	$42,570	15	$47,854	8	$20.47	420	0.98
Ohio	$37,150	27	$40,044	21	$17.86	9,140	1.65
Oklahoma	$23,770	49	$27,060	48	$11.43	4,990	2.92
Oregon	$58,280	4	$56,385	2	$28.02	8,090	4.12
Pennsylvania	$44,870	11	$45,987	10	$21.57	22,360	3.69
Rhode Island	$45,590	10	$44,574	12	$21.92	1,910	3.81
South Carolina	$30,400	40	$32,427	42	$14.62	7,700	3.34
South Dakota	$27,840	45	$31,427	44	$13.39	1,610	3.51
Tennessee	$29,500	42	$32,111	43	$14.18	7,690	2.35
Texas	$32,040	39	$33,012	40	$15.41	29,150	2.07
Utah	$36,490	31	$36,909	33	$17.55	4,710	2.71
Vermont	$38,200	23	$38,996	26	$18.37	1,400	4.60
Virginia	$39,020	19	$38,594	28	$18.76	24,350	5.92
Washington	$55,740	5	$52,087	6	$26.80	14,820	4.17
West Virginia	$49,020	8	$54,773	3	$23.57	4,840	6.91
Wisconsin	$43,950	12	$46,708	9	$21.13	8,420	2.86
Wyoming	$36,990	29	$39,907	22	$17.79	2,230	7.94

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (Colorado). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for substitute teachers

323 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
Anchorage, AK	$78,840	$74,787	330
Napa, CA	$76,520	$67,985	300
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$72,330	$65,503	3,800
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$66,480	$65,896	5,390
Vallejo, CA	$66,000	$60,841	700
Stockton-Lodi, CA	$65,190	$62,033	3,060
Salinas, CA	$63,970	$58,665	1,220
Modesto, CA	$63,440	$60,937	1,990
Eugene-Springfield, OR	$62,660	$61,693	480
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	$62,400	$67,997	170

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	35,740	$57,210	$50,376
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	26,760	$45,220	$40,173
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	15,430	$60,780	$57,102
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	15,060	$46,470	$42,678
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	12,070	$39,340	$39,317
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	11,210	$45,680	$44,542
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	11,110	$43,460	$41,952
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	10,570	$60,790	$52,581
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	9,600	$32,550	$33,002
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	9,480	$59,860	$53,500

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves substitute teacher pay: employers and settings

Pay is set per day by each district or staffing company, so the state you work in drives most of the difference. Alaska has the highest median at $66,920, followed by California at $60,300, Hawaii at $58,530, Oregon at $58,280, and Washington at $55,740. Alaska stays on top after living costs at $65,378. The lowest medians are in Nevada at $24,960, Oklahoma at $23,770, and Mississippi at $22,340.

Who employs you matters too. Subs hired by school districts and other local government employers have a median of $43,390. Those placed by employment services firms have $38,870. Across all private employers the median is $37,850. State government employers stand out at $58,420.

BLS turns hourly pay into these annual figures by assuming 2,080 hours a year of full-time work, and many subs work fewer days, so actual yearly earnings are often lower. Working more days and taking long-term assignments are the most direct ways to raise yearly earnings; daily rates and any premiums for licensed teachers are set locally. The hourly median is $20.03.

Where substitute teachers work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Elementary and Secondary Schools	77.7%	$42,890
Employment Services	16.9%	$38,870
Child Care Services	1.8%	$35,450
Educational Support Services	1.7%	$37,940
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	0.6%	$56,600
Individual and Family Services	0.2%	$37,530

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	141,910	$37,850
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	7,050	$58,420
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	375,810	$43,390

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Substitute Teacher pay over time

Median annual pay, 2019–2025

$41.7K $28.8K

2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $28,790 in 2019 to $41,670 in 2025, up 45% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2019 median is worth $36,139 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 15% over the period.

The series starts in 2019 because BLS changed how it defines or publishes this occupation before then, so earlier figures are not comparable.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What substitute teachers do

A substitute teacher, or sub, runs a classroom for a day or a few weeks when the regular teacher is out sick, at training or on leave. Most of the time you follow the lesson plan the teacher left: take attendance, explain and hand out the work, keep students on task, collect what they finish and leave a note about how the day went. Some days that means teaching algebra; others it means supervising a study hall, recess or lunch duty, or helping in a special education room.

In our data, 77.7% of substitute teachers work directly for elementary and secondary schools and 16.9% are placed through staffing companies that supply subs to districts. Most subs choose their assignments day by day through an online system or a morning phone call, so the work is flexible but pay is by the day, with no guaranteed hours and often no benefits. Classroom management is the hard part: students often test a new adult, and you have to keep order in a room you do not know.

A typical day

Check in at the front office and read the absent teacher's plans and seating charts
Take attendance and report absences to the office
Explain the day's assignments and help students who get stuck
Keep the class focused and handle disruptions using the school's rules
Cover hall, lunch, recess or bus duty when the regular teacher's schedule includes it
Collect work and leave a summary of what was done and any problems
Accept or decline assignments through the district's substitute system

Also called: sub teacher, substitute teachers, 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).

How to become a substitute teacher

Full guide

To become a substitute teacher you meet your state's minimum education rule, which ranges from a high school diploma plus a short approved training to a bachelor's degree, pass a fingerprint background check and get a state substitute permit or license. If you already qualify, it can take a few weeks.

Typical time: 1-2 months; Fastest: 2-4 weeks
Minimum education: Varies by state: from a high school diploma plus approved training (e.g., Missouri) to a bachelor's degree (e.g., California)
License: Set by each state; many, including California and Missouri, require a state substitute permit or certificate, and requirements vary widely
Typical training cost: $50–$103; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a substitute teacher: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 1-2 months; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $50–$103; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $41,670; $9,310 below the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 0–0%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

The median for substitute teachers is below the median for all US jobs, so the case for training rests on the work itself, entry speed and local pay rather than a pay premium. This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for substitute teachers

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +2.0%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 556,100; 567,000 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 65,000; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 5.2%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects substitute teacher jobs to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035, from 556,100 to 567,000, slower than the 3.5% for all occupations. Still, about 65,000 openings are expected each year. Almost all of them come from subs who move into other work or leave the labor force, not from new positions, which fits a job many people hold for a few years or alongside something else.

BLS has no Occupational Outlook Handbook profile for substitute teachers, so the projection comes without an official list of demand factors. How much work you get depends on the districts near you and how often you accept assignments.

Related careers and their pay

Elementary School Teacher$63,970
High School Teacher$72,040
School Principal$105,870
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$61,540
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$74,260

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Substitute Teacher salary FAQ

How much do substitute teachers make an hour?

The median hourly wage for substitute teachers was $20.03 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $13.73 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $31.63. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays substitute teachers the most?

Alaska has the highest median pay for substitute teachers, $66,920 a year, followed by California ($60,300) and Hawaii ($58,530). After adjusting for each state's price level, Alaska comes out ahead at about $65,378 in national-average dollars.

Do substitute teachers make six figures?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of substitute teachers earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $41,670, and the top 10% earn more than $65,790. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Has substitute teacher pay kept up with inflation?

Yes. The median rose from $28,790 in 2019 to $41,670 in 2025. In 2025 dollars, the 2019 median was worth $36,139. So pay rose faster than prices over those six years. Keep in mind that these are full-time-equivalent figures, and subs are paid only for the days they work.

Do substitute teachers get paid more through a district or a staffing agency?

In our data, subs employed by local government, which includes public school districts, have a median of $43,390. Those placed by employment services firms have $38,870. Some districts outsource all substitute hiring to an agency, so you may not have a choice. Where you do, compare daily rates and whether either one offers benefits.

Which states have the most substitute teachers?

California has by far the most, 115,660 in our data. New York follows with 36,090, then Texas with 29,150, Florida with 25,270 and Virginia with 24,350. Requirements differ widely among these states, so check your state education agency's rules before applying.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 25-3031
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (25-3031.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term: Occupational Information, O*NET OnLine · checked October 28, 2026
Emergency 30-Day Substitute Teaching Permit (CL-505p), California Commission on Teacher Credentialing · checked October 28, 2026
Fee Schedule Information (CL-659), California Commission on Teacher Credentialing · checked October 28, 2026
Substitute Teachers, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
Checklist: Substitute Teachers, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education · checked October 28, 2026

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