Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
Also called: Building Sub (Building Substitute), Short-Term Sub Teacher (Short-Term Substitute Teacher), Sub (Substitute), Sub Teacher (Substitute Teacher)Teach students on a short-term basis as a temporary replacement for a regular classroom teacher, typically using the regular teacher's lesson plan.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 3 of its 18 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 2.0% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.9% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other teachers and instructors”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in private educational services, which employs about 80% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $25,340 | $23,060 to $30,020 | 9,290 |
| Alaska | $66,920 | $46,950 to $95,330 | 1,420 |
| Arizona | $38,500 | $34,250 to $42,040 | 4,710 |
| Arkansas | $29,230 | $27,190 to $34,570 | 2,560 |
| California | $60,300 | $49,210 to $68,280 | 115,660 |
| Connecticut | $38,460 | $36,590 to $46,450 | 5,950 |
| Delaware | $36,510 | $34,550 to $44,030 | not published |
| District of Columbia | $49,790 | $49,790 to $49,790 | 750 |
| Florida | $37,080 | $32,060 to $50,370 | 25,270 |
| Georgia | $38,870 | $29,560 to $39,890 | 16,400 |
| Guam | $27,210 | $27,210 to $37,220 | 780 |
| Hawaii | $58,530 | $46,220 to $58,720 | 3,990 |
| Idaho | $34,080 | $30,610 to $34,960 | 1,800 |
| Illinois | $39,410 | $34,500 to $46,710 | 17,220 |
| Indiana | $36,360 | $30,700 to $41,710 | 9,920 |
| Iowa | $37,230 | $36,330 to $39,270 | 7,300 |
| Kansas | $36,190 | $32,510 to $41,960 | 9,360 |
| Kentucky | $29,730 | $26,880 to $45,350 | 320 |
| Louisiana | $27,370 | $26,890 to $33,960 | 1,090 |
| Maine | $37,440 | $33,880 to $42,220 | not published |
| Maryland | $46,470 | $37,090 to $46,470 | 7,610 |
| Massachusetts | $41,350 | $36,600 to $48,600 | 8,410 |
| Michigan | $39,500 | $34,490 to $49,300 | 3,600 |
| Minnesota | $50,390 | $41,770 to $61,340 | 8,660 |
| Mississippi | $22,340 | $19,720 to $28,380 | 2,390 |
| Missouri | $34,790 | $30,610 to $37,690 | 11,480 |
| Montana | $28,050 | $26,590 to $30,830 | 2,370 |
| Nebraska | $37,690 | $32,940 to $44,920 | 3,430 |
| Nevada | $24,960 | $24,960 to $24,960 | 6,600 |
| New Hampshire | $34,990 | $31,910 to $43,220 | 1,070 |
| New Jersey | $43,780 | $36,380 to $47,460 | 17,100 |
| New Mexico | $36,400 | $31,470 to $38,920 | 3,510 |
| New York | $43,490 | $37,650 to $49,400 | 36,090 |
| North Carolina | $33,780 | $30,190 to $37,760 | 20,360 |
| North Dakota | $42,570 | $35,560 to $45,970 | 420 |
| Ohio | $37,150 | $31,920 to $43,080 | 9,140 |
| Oklahoma | $23,770 | $21,320 to $28,560 | 4,990 |
| Oregon | $58,280 | $57,450 to $65,590 | 8,090 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,870 | $35,920 to $47,710 | 22,360 |
| Rhode Island | $45,590 | $43,210 to $52,450 | 1,910 |
| South Carolina | $30,400 | $27,530 to $39,140 | 7,700 |
| South Dakota | $27,840 | $26,220 to $30,310 | 1,610 |
| Tennessee | $29,500 | $25,520 to $32,960 | 7,690 |
| Texas | $32,040 | $26,700 to $34,580 | 29,150 |
| Utah | $36,490 | $30,730 to $43,040 | 4,710 |
| Vermont | $38,200 | $36,400 to $46,660 | 1,400 |
| Virginia | $39,020 | $32,270 to $45,800 | 24,350 |
| Washington | $55,740 | $51,120 to $60,780 | 14,820 |
| West Virginia | $49,020 | $45,580 to $60,140 | 4,840 |
| Wisconsin | $43,950 | $37,710 to $50,040 | 8,420 |
| Wyoming | $36,990 | $34,170 to $43,870 | 2,230 |
Nationally: $41,670. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 3 of its 18 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Answer students' questions. | 1.15% |
| Not much | Enforce school and class rules to maintain order in the classroom. | Not published |
| AI + software | Take class attendance and maintain attendance records. | Not published |
| Not much | Follow lesson plans designed by absent teachers. | Not published |
| Not much | Distribute or collect tests or homework assignments. | Not published |
| Not much | Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students. | Not published |
See all 18 tasks
| Not much | Operate equipment such as computers or audio-visual aids to supplement presentations. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach social skills to students, such as communication, conflict resolution, and etiquette. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise students during activities outside the classroom, such as recess, lunch, and field trips. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach a variety of subjects, such as English, mathematics, and social studies. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Counsel students with adjustment or academic problems. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Tutor or assist students individually or in small groups. | 0.20% |
| Not much | Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, or teacher training workshops to improve professional competence. | Not published |
| Not much | Organize and supervise games or other recreational activities. | Not published |
| Not much | Assist students with boarding or exiting school buses. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms. | Not published |
| AI + software | Grade students' assignments and exams. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Restock teaching materials or supplies. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 5 of the 18 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 18 tasks fall under 14 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #13 Operate computer systems or computerized equipment
- #19 Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motorists
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Operate computer systems or computerized equipment | |||
| Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motorists | |||
| Advise others on educational or vocational matters | |||
| Teach life skills |
Show all 14 activities
| Coordinate group, community, or public activities | |||
| Operate audiovisual or related equipment | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance | |||
| Assist individuals with special needs | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer43%
- Teaching material29%
- A document or report5%
- A chart or visualization5%
- Math or a calculation4%
How they worked with Claude
7% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for substitute teachers, short-term specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 686,776 moves out
- 1 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 5%
- 2 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 4%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 3%
- 5 Teacher Assistants (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Where people moved in from
of 778,640 moves in
- 1 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 4%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 3 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
- 5 Teacher Assistants (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
The resume data uses 2010 occupation codes. This occupation comes from “Teachers and Instructors, All Other”, which today also includes “Tutors” and the occupation still called “Teachers and Instructors, All Other”, so these figures cover those too. Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 10% high school
- 10% some college
- 35% associate's
- 40% bachelor's
- 5% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 34 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 13% high school
- 19% some college
- 8% associate's
- 33% bachelor's
- 19% master's
- 2% professional degree
- 3% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other teachers and instructors” · 8,299 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other teachers and instructors”
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
62.4% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 48.4% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 6.2% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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