Education, Training, and Library · Holland code SCA
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.
Also called: Building Sub (Building Substitute), Short-Term Sub Teacher (Short-Term Substitute Teacher), Sub (Substitute), Sub Teacher (Substitute Teacher), Building Sub Teacher (Building Substitute Teacher), Child Development Sub Teacher (Child Development Substitute Teacher), ESL Sub (English as a Second Language Substitute), HS Sub Teacher (High School Substitute Teacher).
O*NET 25-3031.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $41,670
- Middle half earn $34,170 to $54,890. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree
- 40% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 4 of 5
- Considerable preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Enforce school and class rules to maintain order in the classroom.
- Answer students' questions.
- Follow lesson plans designed by absent teachers.
- Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.
- Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
- Supervise students during activities outside the classroom, such as recess, lunch, and field trips.
- Organize and supervise games or other recreational activities.
- Teach social skills to students, such as communication, conflict resolution, and etiquette.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Reading Comprehension3.6 / 5
- Active Listening3.6 / 5
- Speaking3.6 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.4 / 5
- Monitoring3.4 / 5
- Writing3.1 / 5
Knowledge areas
- English Language4.1 / 5
- Education and Training3.3 / 5
- Public Safety and Security3.2 / 5
- Customer and Personal Service3.0 / 5
- Computers and Electronics2.9 / 5
- Mathematics2.8 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic20
- Investigative25
- Artistic41
- Social96
- Enterprising24
- Conventional44
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- secondary school teacher · DE Lehrkraft Sekundarstufe · FR chargé/chargée d'enseignement général du second degré
- art teacher secondary school · DE Kunsterzieher Sekundarstufe/Kunsterzieherin Sekundarstufe · FR professeur d’enseignements artistiques/professeure d’enseignements artistiques
- science teacher secondary school · DE Lehrkraft für Naturwissenschaften Sekundarstufe · FR professeur de matières scientifiques/professeure de matières scientifiques
- classical languages teacher secondary school · DE Lehrkraft für Alte Sprachen Sekundarstufe · FR professeur de langues anciennes/professeure de langues anciennes
- special educational needs teacher · DE Sonderpädagoge/Sonderpädagogin · FR enseignant spécialisé/enseignante spécialisée
- special educational needs teacher secondary school · DE Sonderpädagoge Sekundarstufe/Sonderpädagogin Sekundarstufe · FR professeur spécialisé de l’enseignement général/professeure spécialisée de l’enseignement général
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Secondary education teaching professionals (2313)504,100 employed
- Higher level teaching assistants (3231)62,100 employed
- Teaching assistants (6112)151,100 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €61,714 |
| Germany | €59,529 |
| Ireland | €56,877 |
| Austria | €55,374 |
| Netherlands | €53,595 |
| Sweden | €43,567 |
| France | €41,515 |
| Spain | €35,735 |
| Italy | €33,649 |
| Portugal | €26,072 |
| Poland | €14,380 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Related careers
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Is it a fit for you?
Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.
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