Substitute teachers in the U.S. typically make around 20–25 dollars per hour, which works out to roughly 35,000–60,000 dollars per year if they work most school days, but the range is wide depending on location, school district, and how often they get called in.

Quick Scoop

Typical pay in 2025–2026

  • National averages put substitute teacher pay around 22–23 dollars an hour as of late 2025.
  • Some salary aggregators estimate annual earnings between about 35,000 and 60,000 dollars if a sub works close to full-time during the school year, with 50,000–60,000 dollars being on the higher end of reported averages.
  • Because subbing is often part-time or inconsistent, many substitutes actually earn less per year than those “full-year” estimates.

Day rate vs. hourly rate

  • Many districts pay by the day (for example, 120–200 dollars per day), which usually translates to the low-to-mid 20s per hour once you break it down over the school day.
  • Some places—especially high-cost-of-living cities or hard-to-staff districts—offer premium day rates , sometimes 250–300+ dollars per day for certain roles or locations.

What affects how much you make

  • Location: Urban and high cost-of-living areas (especially parts of California and other big metros) tend to pay more, while rural and lower-cost states often pay closer to the bottom of the range.
  • Type of assignment:
    • Short-term, one-day classes often pay the base sub rate.
    • Long-term substitute roles (covering weeks or months) can pay significantly more, sometimes closer to a regular teacher’s salary band.
  • Credentials: Having a full teaching license, specialized subject skills, or working in special education can bump the rate in some districts.

Snapshot: pay ranges

Here’s a simplified look at how much substitute teachers make, in practice:

[7] [2][3][9] [5][3][1]
Type of pay Typical range (US) Notes
Hourly base About 15–25 dollars/hour National averages cluster around 22–23 dollars/hour.
Daily rate Roughly 100–250 dollars/day Higher in big metros and high-need districts.
Estimated annual About 35,000–60,000 dollars/year Assumes frequent work; actual earnings can be lower due to gaps in assignments.

Real‑world flavor (forums and chatter)

People discussing sub pay online often describe:

  • Big differences by district: One person might report a modest daily rate in a typical area, while another in a high-cost city reports 300+ dollars a day—but often with tougher classroom conditions.
  • Trade‑off between pay and stress: Higher-paying districts sometimes come with more challenging student behavior or environments; some subs say they’re selective about which schools or classes they accept for this reason.

“That’s a lot of money to tell high schoolers ‘the assignment is on Google Classroom’” is a common joke in threads, usually followed by someone noting that some days are easy, others are emotionally exhausting.

If you’re thinking of subbing

If you’re trying to estimate how much you would personally make as a substitute teacher:

  1. Check your local district and nearby districts ; pay can change drastically within a short drive.
  1. Look for different categories of sub jobs (short-term, long-term, special education, hard-to-fill schools).
  2. Estimate based on how many days per week you realistically want to work; remember there is no guaranteed full-time schedule for many subs.

TL;DR: Substitute teachers currently tend to make around low-to-mid 20s per hour in the U.S., with annual earnings varying widely depending on how often they’re booked, the district, and whether they take higher-paying long- term or specialized roles.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.