Substitute Teachers, Short-Term Salary
The median pay for a substitute teachers, short-term in Dothan, AL is $28,410/year ($13.66/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $16K at the entry level to $28K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 83.83), which stretches that salary to about $33,890 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $950/month, about 47.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $28K get you in Dothan?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dothan’s Regional Price Parity (83.83). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About substitute teachers, short-terms
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What this looks like in Dothan
Pay for substitute teachers, short-term in Dothan runs about 32% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $950/month, which is 48.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 83.83 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 16% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for substitute teachers, short-terms.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for substitute teachers, short-terms in metros near Dothan, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $25K | $27K |
| Huntsville | $25K | $27K |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals | $23K | $27K |
| Decatur | $18K | $20K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dothan, AL
Entry-level substitute teachers, short-terms (10th percentile) start around $16K. Mid-career wages sit at $28K. Top earners bring in $28K or more, a $12K spread from bottom to top.
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Substitute Teachers, Short-Term salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $67K | +61% | 1,420 |
| California | $60K | +45% | 115,660 |
| Hawaii | $59K | +40% | 3,990 |
| Oregon | $58K | +40% | 8,090 |
| Washington | $56K | +34% | 14,820 |
| Minnesota | $50K | +21% | 8,660 |
| District of Columbia | $50K | +19% | 750 |
| West Virginia | $49K | +18% | 4,840 |
| Maryland | $46K | +12% | 7,610 |
| Rhode Island | $46K | +9% | 1,910 |
| Pennsylvania | $45K | +8% | 22,360 |
| Wisconsin | $44K | +5% | 8,420 |
| New Jersey | $44K | +5% | 17,100 |
| New York | $43K | +4% | 36,090 |
| North Dakota | $43K | +2% | 420 |
| Massachusetts | $41K | -1% | 8,410 |
| Michigan | $40K | -5% | 3,600 |
| Illinois | $39K | -5% | 17,220 |
| Virginia | $39K | -6% | 24,350 |
| Georgia | $39K | -7% | 16,400 |
| Arizona | $39K | -8% | 4,710 |
| Connecticut | $38K | -8% | 5,950 |
| Vermont | $38K | -8% | 1,400 |
| Nebraska | $38K | -10% | 3,430 |
| Maine | $37K | -10% | N/A |
| Iowa | $37K | -11% | 7,300 |
| Ohio | $37K | -11% | 9,140 |
| Florida | $37K | -11% | 25,270 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -11% | 2,230 |
| Delaware | $37K | -12% | N/A |
| Utah | $36K | -12% | 4,710 |
| New Mexico | $36K | -13% | 3,510 |
| Indiana | $36K | -13% | 9,920 |
| Kansas | $36K | -13% | 9,360 |
| New Hampshire | $35K | -16% | 1,070 |
| Missouri | $35K | -17% | 11,480 |
| Idaho | $34K | -18% | 1,800 |
| North Carolina | $34K | -19% | 20,360 |
| Texas | $32K | -23% | 29,150 |
| South Carolina | $30K | -27% | 7,700 |
| Kentucky | $30K | -29% | 320 |
| Tennessee | $30K | -29% | 7,690 |
| Arkansas | $29K | -30% | 2,560 |
| Montana | $28K | -33% | 2,370 |
| South Dakota | $28K | -33% | 1,610 |
| Louisiana | $27K | -34% | 1,090 |
| Alabama | $25K | -39% | 9,290 |
| Nevada | $25K | -40% | 6,600 |
| Oklahoma | $24K | -43% | 4,990 |
| Mississippi | $22K | -46% | 2,390 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track substitute teachers, short-term salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Dothan numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a substitute teachers, short-term afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dothan?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $28K, rent takes 48.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $950/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for substitute teachers, short-terms in Dothan?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new substitute teachers, short-terms typically earn — is $16K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $986/month. At HUD’s $950/month FMR, rent would take 96% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is substitute teachers, short-term a high-paying job in Dothan?
Local pay runs 32% below the national median — $28K here vs. $42K nationally. Cost of living is 16% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Dothan compare to the national average for substitute teachers, short-terms?
Dothan pays $28K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -32%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 83.83), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do substitute teachers, short-terms make in Dothan, AL?
The median is $28,410 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $16,430, and experienced substitute teachers, short-terms can clear $28,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $28K enough to live in Dothan?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,968/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $950/month, which eats 48.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a substitute teachers, short-term salary go in Dothan?
Dothan has a Regional Price Parity of 83.83 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median substitute teachers, short-term salary is worth about $33,890 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do substitute teachers, short-terms get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.