Is substitute teaching a good job?
It can be, if you want flexible work with children and can live with uneven days. Fairfax County Public Schools says subs can build the schedule that suits them, and DC Public Schools lets its subs accept or decline each job. But Jordan School District in Utah says a sub has no expectation of being called, and pay is by the day.
Checked October 31, 2026 against the sources below.
The good parts are the ones districts put first: choosing your days, seeing many schools and grades, and a way in. Fairfax County lists pathways from subbing to a full-time career in the district and support with getting a teaching license, and offers health and dental benefits to subs who average 30 hours a week.
The hard parts are steadiness and pay. DC Public Schools pays its K-12 subs $160 for a full day (as of 2026-10-31) and asks for at least two full days a month to stay in the pool; Jordan asks for four days a month from September to June. Work comes when teachers are out, so some weeks are full and some are quiet.
As a side job it suits people whose mornings are free and who can say yes at short notice. As a main job it suits people who will take long-term or building assignments, which pay more in many districts. Ask the district what a typical sub works in a month before you count on it.
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Sources
- Fairfax County Public Schools (VA): Substitute Teaching Employment Opportunities (opened October 31, 2026)
- District of Columbia Public Schools: Substitute Teachers (opened October 31, 2026)
- Jordan School District (UT): Substitute Teacher job description, revised March 2024 (opened October 31, 2026)
More on getting started
- Do I need a teaching degree to be a substitute teacher?
- How do I become a substitute teacher?
- Do substitute teachers need a background check and fingerprints?
- Can subbing lead to a full-time teaching job?
- What is a long-term substitute, and is it different?
- What is a building substitute, a permanent sub or a floating sub?
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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