Substitute Teachers, Short-Term Salary
The median pay for a substitute teachers, short-term in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN is $35,760/year ($17.19/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.43), which stretches that salary to about $38,275 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,242/month, about 50% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lafayette-West Lafayette’s Regional Price Parity (93.43). 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette
Pay for substitute teachers, short-term in Lafayette-West Lafayette runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,242/month, which is 50.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.43 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $36K | $38K |
| Fort Wayne | $36K | $39K |
| Elkhart-Goshen | $36K | $40K |
| Michigan City-La Porte | $32K | $34K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Entry-level substitute teachers, short-terms (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $26K 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a substitute teachers, short-term afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 50.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,242/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new substitute teachers, short-terms typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,298/month. At HUD’s $1,242/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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $36K here vs. $42K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lafayette-West Lafayette compare to the national average for substitute teachers, short-terms?
Lafayette-West Lafayette pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.43), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do substitute teachers, short-terms make in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
The median is $35,760 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,630, and experienced substitute teachers, short-terms can clear $47,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,473/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,242/month, which eats 50.2% 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Lafayette-West Lafayette has a Regional Price Parity of 93.43 (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 $38,275 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.