Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
Teach students on a short-term basis as a temporary replacement for a regular classroom teacher, typically using the regular teacher's lesson plan.
What it pays
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term earn a median of $20.03/hr — about $41,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $13.73/hr; the top 10% earn $31.63/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term earn a median of $20.03/hr — about $41,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $13.73/hr; the top 10% earn $31.63/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Answer students' questions.
- Assist students with boarding or exiting school buses.
- Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, or teacher training workshops to improve professional competence.
- Counsel students with adjustment or academic problems.
- Distribute or collect tests or homework assignments.
- Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work splits time indoors and out; it rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 5% of substitute teachers, short-term are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are people-focused, organized and detail-focused and creative.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Teachers and Instructors, All Other
- Special Education Teachers, Middle School
Quick questions
- How much does a substitute teachers, short-term make?
- The median pay is $20.03 per hour — roughly $41,500 a year, with the real range running from about $13.73/hr (10th percentile) to $31.63/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a substitute teachers, short-term?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a substitute teachers, short-term actually do all day?
- Answer students' questions. Assist students with boarding or exiting school buses. Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, or teacher training workshops to improve professional competence.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.