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Salary comparison

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

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term out-earn Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary by $5K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Substitute Teachers, Short-Term land at $41,670 and Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 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-Term is Alaska ($66,920); for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 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)
1.6%
-1.5%
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-Term or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary?

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

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

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term has the better 10-year outlook at 1.6% projected growth, compared to -1.5% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

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-Term get paid the most?

Alaska is the top-paying state for Substitute Teachers, Short-Term 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-Term earn $60,300 vs. $46,490 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary. 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-Term by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary by take-home payExplore →How to become a substitute teachers, short-termGuide →How to become a teaching assistants, except postsecondaryGuide →