# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/substitute-teachers-short-term
- SOC code: 25-3031.00
- Career family: Education
- Median annual pay: $41,670 (10th percentile $28,560, 90th percentile $65,790)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +2.0%
- Openings a year: 65,000
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SCA)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 20 |
| Investigative (I) | 25 |
| Artistic (A) | 41 |
| Social (S) | 96 |
| Enterprising (E) | 24 |
| Conventional (C) | 44 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 75/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 73/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 71/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 68/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 64/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 62/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 62/100)
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (importance 61/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 59/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 56/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Critical Thinking, Instructing, Monitoring, Learning Strategies, Time Management, Writing

## Knowledge

English Language, Education and Training, Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics, Mathematics, Psychology, Communications and Media, History and Archeology, Geography

## Also called

Building Sub (Building Substitute), Building Sub Teacher (Building Substitute Teacher), Certified Sub Teacher (Certified Substitute Teacher), Child Development Sub Teacher (Child Development Substitute Teacher), Classroom Sub Teacher (Classroom Substitute Teacher), Elementary Sub Teacher (Elementary Substitute Teacher), English Sub Teacher (English Substitute Teacher), ESL Sub (English as a Second Language Substitute), HS Sub Teacher (High School Substitute Teacher), K-12 Sub Teacher (Kindergarten to 12th Grade Substitute Teacher)

## Related careers

- [Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/adult-basic-education-adult-secondary-education-and-english-as-a-second-language): $61,540 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Secondary School](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-secondary-school): $74,260 median pay
- [Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/kindergarten-teachers-except-special-education): $62,680 median pay
- [Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/elementary-school-teachers-except-special-education): $63,970 median pay
- [Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/secondary-school-teachers-except-special-and-career-technical-education): $72,040 median pay
- [Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/middle-school-teachers-except-special-and-career-technical-education): $64,370 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.