{"id":344308,"date":"2026-03-12T17:39:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T22:39:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/how-to-be-a-substitute-teacher-and-how-much-you-could-make"},"modified":"2026-03-12T17:39:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T22:39:22","slug":"how-to-be-a-substitute-teacher-and-how-much-you-could-make","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/how-to-be-a-substitute-teacher-and-how-much-you-could-make","title":{"rendered":"The right way to Be a Substitute Instructor \u2014 and How A lot You May Make"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Excited
Volodymyr TVERDOKHLIB \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on The Penny Hoarder<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

If there\u2019s one job that consistently needs people, it\u2019s substitute teaching.<\/p>\n

A quick Google search for \u201csubstitute teacher\u201d will result in\u00a0ads offering flexible hours and \u201cno experience necessary\u201d to help fill the gaps in your local school system.<\/p>\n

Teacher shortages play heavily into the need for substitute teachers, but no matter where you live, teachers need support to avoid overworking or teaching while sick.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to\u00a0make some extra money, here\u2019s everything you need to know about how to be a substitute teacher right now.<\/p>\n

How to Become a Substitute Teacher<\/h2>\n
\"Teacher
Monkey Business Images \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Because of all of the challenges school systems are facing, it\u2019s easier than ever to become a substitute teacher. Whether you want to work full time,\u00a0part time<\/a>\u00a0or even per diem, a lot of schools are willing to take any help they can get.<\/p>\n

But there are still a few qualifications to know about.<\/p>\n

Requirements for aspiring substitute teachers are set at the state level and by each local school district, said Joseph Fitzgerald, vice president of operations for the Mountain West States division of the substitute staffing provider\u00a0ESS<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany states and school districts allow individuals with a high school diploma or GED to become substitute teachers, while other states add requirements ranging from passing the ParaPro Exam to requiring a bachelor\u2019s degree,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

While education and experience requirements vary, one thing is for sure: You\u2019ll have to pass a criminal background check and undergo some training before you can step into a classroom.<\/p>\n

Why Is Now a Good Time to Be a Substitute Teacher?<\/h2>\n
\"Teacher
ESB Professional \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As demand for teachers increases, some school districts are not just increasing wages, they\u2019re adding incentives and relaxing their usual requirements.<\/p>\n

Kansas, for example, loosened the requirements<\/a> for substitute teachers in 2025. Anyone 18 and older with a high school diploma can apply for an emergency substitute teaching license (but will still have to pass a background check).<\/p>\n

To fully understand what\u2019s driving the shortage, it\u2019s helpful to go back a few years.<\/p>\n

Recent data shows 20 to 30% fewer people are becoming teachers<\/a> compared to a decade ago. Downward trends for incoming teachers have happened before in the \u201970s and \u201980s, but what is driving the decline this time around?<\/p>\n

The rise of remote and flexible work has given educators more options to switch to more lucrative jobs, while would-be substitute teachers can find higher paying part-time gigs and even part-time jobs that include benefits<\/a>. Combine that with thinly stretched resources, and we are facing a lack of qualified teachers to fill schools.<\/p>\n

How Much Can You Earn as a Substitute Teacher?<\/h2>\n
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michaeljung \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The average hourly pay for substitute teachers ranges from $15.28 to $31.99 depending on your state, according to\u00a0ZipRecruiter<\/a>.\u00a0Although many schools don\u2019t require extensive teaching experience, higher education degrees or college credit hours, you\u2019ll likely earn more if you have those qualifications.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have heard of substitute pay as low as $70 per day and as high as $200 a day,\u201d said long-time certified teacher and education blogger Whitney Rancourt of\u00a0Mama Manages<\/a>. \u201cMost districts will pay slightly more than their base rate for certification, bachelor\u2019s degrees and to retired teachers of that district.\u201d<\/p>\n

A bigger factor, Rancourt said, is location. Higher cost-of-living areas often pay higher hourly rates.<\/p>\n

That being said, school districts everywhere are ramping up their offerings to make more competitive offers in the current market.\u00a0Top-paying metropolitan areas like New York and Washington, D.C. pay an average of more than $60,000 a year for full-time subs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are seeing school districts respond to substitute staffing shortages with higher pay rates and other incentives,\u201d Fitzgerald said. \u201cIf you considered substituting a year or two ago, we encourage you to take another look as many school districts have increased their pay rates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Which Substitute Teaching Jobs Pay the Best?<\/h2>\n
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StockLite \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another factor influencing pay rates is the duration of a substitute-teaching gig.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuilding-based substitutes and long-term substitutes are typically higher-paying roles,\u201d Fitzgerald said. Building-based substitute teachers commit to working each school day at the same school. Long-term substitute teachers have the added duties of lesson planning as well as grading, \u201cand thus school districts compensate for the position more than daily substitutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some school systems will also pay higher wages for aspiring substitute teachers who have a valid teaching license, are qualified to work with special needs students, or to teach a certain subject or grade level.<\/p>\n

Another thing to ask is whether the school pays hourly or daily. If you end up working a longer shift, this could make a big difference in your overall take-home pay.<\/p>\n

What Benefits and Perks Can You Get as a Substitute Teacher?<\/h2>\n
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Lordn \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to your earning potential as a substitute teacher: Some jobs might even offer\u00a0benefits, especially if you\u2019re hired through a staffing agency.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt ESS, we offer all of our substitute staff health, vision, dental and life insurance,\u201d Fitzgerald said. \u201cMost school districts don\u2019t offer benefits to their substitutes, but it\u2019s worth checking because some do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another perk? When you\u2019re hired, you\u2019ll receive a school ID badge, which you can use to get discounts and free stuff at a long list of places, including museums and restaurants.<\/p>\n

What If You Don\u2019t Make Enough Money as a Part-Time Substitute Teacher?<\/h2>\n
\"Young
Timothy Kuiper \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although becoming a substitute teacher does offer flexibility and competitive pay, you may not always have time to teach and you may not always have options to teach subjects you prefer.<\/p>\n

Plus, summers off are great, but if you\u2019re a substitute teacher, that\u2019s unpaid time off. If you need more ways to earn, check out our list of\u00a0work-from-home side gigs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How to Apply to Be a Substitute Teacher<\/h2>\n
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Ground Picture \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Procedures vary from state to state and from one school district to the next. But here is the typical process.<\/p>\n

1. Apply on your local school district or staffing agency\u2019s website<\/h2>\n
\"A
Lordn \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although you might be applying for a particular substitute teacher position, most substitute teaching roles are filtered through the school district, not just one particular school.<\/p>\n

The main exception is when you\u2019re applying for a role with a staffing agency like ESS, in which case you would apply on their website, which coordinates with the local school district on your behalf.<\/p>\n

2. Complete the substitute teacher onboarding process<\/h2>\n
\"Woman
simona pilolla 2 \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once your initial application has been reviewed, you\u2019ll likely be prompted to undergo a criminal background check, as is required by law for prospective substitute teachers.<\/p>\n

Once this has been approved, you may also be asked to take an orientation training, as well as provide professional references and proof of your education and certifications<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Check in with the \u2018substitute portal\u2019<\/h2>\n
\"A
Prostock-studio \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After completing the onboarding process with your local school district, you\u2019ll typically receive access to an online substitute teacher portal, which is where jobs get posted. This is where the process gets interesting because, from here, you can start mapping out your new work schedule.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re a type-A planner, you can log on far in advance and pick up jobs that are posted early,\u201d\u00a0 Rancourt said. \u201cHowever, there is some benefit to logging in early in the morning on the days you\u2019re available to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

By doing some combination of the two, you\u2019ll be able to snag jobs happening in advance (planned teacher absences), as well as take advantage of any last-minute sick days.<\/p>\n

Is Substitute Teaching Right for You?<\/h2>\n
\"School
ESB Professional \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s important to consider whether teaching in a classroom is actually a good fit for you \u2014 because it\u2019s definitely not\u00a0the easiest job<\/a> out there.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing a substitute teacher is not easy money,\u201d Rancourt said. \u201cIf you\u2019re not physically tired by the end of the day, you\u2019re not doing the job right. Subs should be moving about the classroom for the entire day, interacting with students, actively monitoring, and checking the quality of their work.\u201d<\/p>\n

So who exactly is a good fit for this kind of side hustle? Fitzgerald fills us in.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best personality types for substitute teaching are people that care about education and want to make a positive impact on the lives of students,\u201d he said. \u201cThey must also be able to connect with and lead a group of children or teenagers, so those with strong social skills and assertiveness can especially thrive in substitute teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Substitute Teaching Advances Your Career<\/h2>\n
\"Gym
wavebreakmedia \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If that sounds like something that interests you, then you might just want to give substitute teaching a try. Even if it ends up not being your long-term profession, the role may open other doors and career opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cSubstitute teaching can spark career advancement in various areas of education,\u201d Fitzgerald said. \u201cMany of our substitute teachers go on to become school district employees in various capacities, such as teachers, paraprofessionals, or other support positions such as staffing the front office.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bottom Line About Substitute Teaching<\/h2>\n
\"Teacher
Monkey Business Images \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although it may not be for everyone, substitute teaching is worth exploring if you\u2019re passionate about education, want to work with kids, and trying to earn extra money.<\/p>\n

And who knows? Substitute teaching might inspire you to explore other\u00a0roles in education, including online tutoring. It can also be a nice boost for your resume. In either case, that\u2019s a win-win.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


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Volodymyr TVERDOKHLIB \/ Shutterstock.com Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on The Penny Hoarder. If there\u2019s one job that consistently needs people, it\u2019s substitute teaching. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":344311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4557],"tags":[21915,689,21700,3800,21916,21917,21914,21920,21919,270,21918],"class_list":["post-344308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marketing","tag-constructing","tag-editor","tag-esb","tag-kansas","tag-on-their-web-site","tag-on-line-tutoring","tag-timothy-kuiper","tag-type-a-planner","tag-vice-chairman-of-operations","tag-washington-d-c","tag-whitney-rancourt"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=344308"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":344310,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344308\/revisions\/344310"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/344311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=344308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=344308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=344308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}