Substitute Salary
$19K - $23.5K
4% of jobs
$23.5K - $28K
8% of jobs
$31K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$28K - $32.5K
20% of jobs
$32.5K - $37K
15% of jobs
The median wage is $38.3K / yr.
$37K - $41.5K
13% of jobs
$41.5K - $46K
12% of jobs
$48K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$46K - $50.5K
9% of jobs
$50.5K - $55K
7% of jobs
$55K - $59.5K
6% of jobs
$59.5K - $64K
5% of jobs
$64K - $68.5K
2% of jobs
$19K
$38.5K
$69K
$42,244
/year
$20.31
/hour
Substitute Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$42,244
Columbus
Ohio
$40,804
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How much does a Substitute make?
As of Aug 12, 2026, the average annual pay for a Substitute in the United States is $42,244 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $20.31 an hour. This is the equivalent of $812/week or $3,520/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $69,000 and as low as $19,000, the majority of Substitute salaries currently range between $31,000 (25th percentile) to $50,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $62,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Substitute varies greatly (by as much as 19000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Substitute in your area makes on average $40,804 per year, or $1,440 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $42,244. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Substitute salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Substitute jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Substitute on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Substitute Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Substitute job is above the national average. Topping the list is Blue Hill, ME, , with Kern County, CA, and Carlsbad, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Carlsbad, CA, beats the national average by $19,652 (46.5%), and Blue Hill, ME, furthers that trend with another $21,174 (50.1%) above the $42,244 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Substitute appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 14% between Blue Hill, ME, and Troy, NY, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Substitute role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Blue Hill, ME | $63,418 | $30.49 |
Kern County, CA | $61,940 | $29.78 |
Carlsbad, CA | $61,896 | $29.76 |
Watertown, MA | $59,929 | $28.81 |
Ashland, NE | $59,659 | $28.68 |
Burnsville, MN | $56,622 | $27.22 |
Maple Grove, MN | $56,224 | $27.03 |
Bristol, CT | $55,982 | $26.91 |
Fort Calhoun, NE | $55,583 | $26.72 |
Troy, NY | $54,940 | $26.41 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Substitute Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Substitute category.
For example Northwest Area School District jobs pay as much as $29,194 (69.1%) more than the average Substitute salary of $42,244. If you're qualified, finding work as a Northwest Area School District may help you make more money than that of the average Substitute position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Northwest Area School District | $71,438 | $34.35 |
Pre K Counts Teacher | $55,495 | $26.68 |
International Baccalaureate Teacher | $52,647 | $25.31 |
Online Substitute Teacher | $42,244 | $20.31 |
Substitute Cafeteria Worker | $33,721 | $16.21 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
