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Salary comparison

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term vs. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary: Who Earns More?

Substitute Teachers, Short-Terms out-earn Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys by $5K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Substitute Teachers, Short-Terms land at $41,670 and Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys at $36,780. The education gap is real: substitute teachers, short-term programs typically require bachelor's degree, while teaching assistants, except postsecondary programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Substitute Teachers, Short-Terms is Alaska ($66,920); for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys it's Washington ($49,120).

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
Median salary
$41,670
$36,780
Hourly rate
$20.03/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$28,560
$27,150
Senior level (90th %)
$65,790
$50,040
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
524,770
1,420,350
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Education
Education
Top-paying state
Alaska
Washington

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Substitute Teachers, Short-Term median pay.

State
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
California
$60,300
$46,490
Oregon
$58,280
$39,850
Washington
$55,740
$49,120
Minnesota
$50,390
$40,100
District of Columbia
$49,790
$46,920
Wisconsin
$43,950
$37,800
New York
$43,490
$38,240
North Dakota
$42,570
$38,240
Massachusetts
$41,350
$39,380
Virginia
$39,020
$38,520
Connecticut
$38,460
$38,110
Vermont
$38,200
$43,800
Maine
$37,440
$46,750
Delaware
$36,510
$37,830
New Hampshire
$34,990
$38,440

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Substitute Teachers, Short-Terms or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys?

Substitute Teachers, Short-Terms earn more nationally. The median is $41,670 for Substitute Teachers, Short-Terms versus $36,780 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys, a difference of $5K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Substitute Teachers, Short-Term or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Substitute Teachers, Short-Term or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary?

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term typically requires bachelor's degree. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Substitute Teachers, Short-Terms get paid the most?

Alaska is the top-paying state for Substitute Teachers, Short-Terms at $66,920/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Substitute Teachers, Short-Term vs. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In California, Substitute Teachers, Short-Terms earn $60,300 vs. $46,490 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Substitute Teachers, Short-Term salary breakdownView →Full Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary breakdownView →Best cities for Substitute Teachers, Short-Terms by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys by take-home payExplore →How to become a substitute teachers, short-termGuide →How to become a teaching assistants, except postsecondaryGuide →