How much do substitute teachers make?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says short-term substitute teachers earned a median of $20.03 an hour in May 2025, with a mean of $22.32. The middle 80 percent ran from $13.73 to $31.63 an hour. Most subs are paid by the day or the hour, so what you take home depends on how many days you work and what your district pays.
Checked October 30, 2026 against the sources below.
The same May 2025 figures give a median of $41,670 a year and a mean of $46,420, across about 524,770 jobs nationwide. Read those with care. For hourly workers the Bureau works out a yearly figure from a full-time, year-round schedule, and many subs work fewer days than that.
Pay is set by each district and often rises with your education. In 2025-2026, Keller ISD in Texas paid $70 a day with a high school diploma, $95 with a bachelor's degree, and $100 with a Texas teaching certificate, with more for consecutive days and long-term jobs.
Your district's sub office or HR page should list its daily rates. Ask whether there are higher rates for consecutive days, long-term jobs, or hard-to-fill schools, and when and how you get paid.
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS, Substitute Teachers, Short-Term (25-3031), May 2025 (opened October 30, 2026)
- Keller ISD (TX): Substitute Pay Rates, 2025-2026 (opened October 30, 2026)
More on pay and work
This answers a common question in general. Your district, school and state may differ, and their word wins. Up: All questions · Substitute teachers
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