How to Become a Substitute Teacher: Requirements
Substitute teacher requirements vary widely by state and district: some require a bachelor's degree, while others accept fewer college credits or a high school diploma. Requirements differ further too: some states require a basic-skills exam, background-check rules vary by state and district, and age minimums are set individually by state.
Substitute teaching is one of the few jobs in education you can start without a teaching license, and it's one of many ways where an education degree can lead. What trips people up is that substitute teacher requirements- the exam, the background check, the minimum age- aren't the same from one state to the next, and often not from one district to the next inside the same state.
What Makes a Good Substitute Teacher
"Substitute teaching is a bit like being a stand-up comic with a new audience every day," one veteran sub put it, and that's not far off. You're walking into a room where the kids know the routine better than you do, so the job is less about a perfect lesson and more about holding the room steady while you follow someone else's plan: flexible and calm when things go sideways, thick-skinned enough that a rough class doesn't rattle you, and organized enough to leave the returning teacher a clear note on what got done.
Tips for Substitute Teachers
A few habits separate subs who get called back from ones who don't.
Read the lesson plan before the bell rings. Most classroom teachers leave detailed instructions, and reviewing them early saves you from improvising something the teacher didn't ask for.
Set expectations early and enforce the school's actual rules. Students test substitutes less when they know the consequences match what they'd get from their regular teacher. You can loosen up as the day goes on, but you can't tighten up after you've already let things slide.
Mix up the activities. Younger students especially lose focus fast with one long stretch of the same task, so breaking a period into discussion, independent work, and group work keeps a class more engaged.
Introduce yourself to the office and other staff. Being a known quantity in the building matters if you want to get called back or turn a long-term assignment into something more.
Substitute Teaching Job Opportunities
Substitute work is rarely anyone's first choice out of a teaching program, but it's often the fastest way into a building that wouldn't have looked twice at a brand-new teacher otherwise. Showing up reliably as a sub gets you noticed for the next long-term or full-time opening, and it doubles as a bridge: steady income while you look for a full-time role, and a chance to find out which grade level or subject you actually want before committing to it.
Examining the Substitute Teacher Shortage. Schools across the country have dealt with a substitute shortage for years, one that intensified during the pandemic and hasn't fully let up. When there aren't enough subs, schools end up combining classes or canceling them outright.
The shortage traces back to the broader teacher shortage: fewer full-time teachers means more absences to cover, and more subs are needed to cover them. For someone weighing whether to become one, the flip side is steady openings, and in many districts, better pay and training support than a few years ago.
What Are the Requirements to Become a Substitute Teacher?
There's no single national standard here, and that's the part most guides gloss over. According to the National Education Association, roughly 27 states and D.C. issue some kind of formal substitute license, permit, or certificate, with education requirements that vary by state and often by district within it.
Education requirements vary widely by state and district. NEA data shows roughly 19 states plus D.C. require a bachelor's degree while also offering a waiver or workaround, and six states, including Alabama, Colorado, and New Mexico, accept a high school diploma or equivalent instead, often paired with a minimum number of college credit hours or a short state-approved training course.
Testing, Background Checks, and Minimum Age
A basic-skills exam shows up in some states but isn't a nationwide requirement, so check your state's actual rule rather than assuming one applies. At least 17 states plus D.C. mandate a criminal background or fingerprint check at the state level. Background-check requirements, and whether they occur through state credentialing, district hiring, or both, vary by jurisdiction. There's also no fixed national minimum age. A few states spell one out: New Mexico sets 18 for K-8 and 21 for grades 9-12, and Virginia allows 18 but prefers 21. Most leave age unaddressed and let the degree or credit-hour requirement set the practical floor instead.
What Does a Substitute Teacher Do?
A substitute steps in for the regular teacher and keeps that teacher's plan moving. That means running the lesson as written, but it also means everything else that comes with being the adult in the room for the day.
Substitute Teaching Job Duties
Depending on the assignment, a substitute can expect to:
- Take attendance and make announcements
- Cover lunch, recess, or bus duty
- Follow the lesson plan left by the regular teacher
- Teach the material and keep the classroom safe and on task
- Grade or collect assignments, if the teacher has asked for it
Short-term subs usually skip staff meetings, grading beyond the assigned work, and calls home. A long-term sub takes all of that on.
Long-Term Substitute Teaching
A long-term substitute can hold the same classroom for most or all of a school year, covering maternity leave, extended illness, or a sudden enrollment spike. The assignment can end when the school year does or turn into a full-time offer, and some long-term subs qualify for district health benefits once they hit a set number of hours.
A Professional Substitute Weighs In: Why I Love Substitute Teaching. (Really)The following comment was provided by a working substitute teacher.
When I tell people I'm a substitute teacher, they usually respond like they're apologizing for every student who's ever given a sub a hard time. It's a fair reaction; kids do test substitutes more than they test their regular teacher, but the longer I've done this, the more I've come to enjoy the unpredictability rather than dread it.
No two days look alike, and subbing lets you scope out different schools, grade levels, and subjects before deciding where you actually want to land. My biggest tip for a first-timer: stay calm, even while you're still getting your bearings. The room takes its cues from you.
Substitute Teaching Jobs and Job Description
When a classroom teacher needs to be away, the school pulls from a pool of substitutes, often already-certified teachers picking up occasional work or building experience toward a full-time role. On top of the duties already covered above, most districts also expect a sub to check in at the school office for materials and the day's schedule, keep student and staff information confidential, and never leave students unsupervised on campus.
[zip_widget_esy pc="GES131"]Where Can Certified Substitute Teachers Work?
Substitutes work in public, private, and charter schools, and some also pick up tutoring or online teaching on the side. Unlike a full-time teaching role, subbing doesn't lead to tenure and doesn't come with a guaranteed schedule, but the need spans every grade band and subject area, from Pre-K through high school.
Public Schools
Most substitutes start here. Public schools are free to attend and follow curriculum set at the county or district level, and you apply directly through that district's board of education to get on its substitute list, whether it calls subs individually, uses an automated system, or both.
Private Schools
Private schools set their own tuition and often their own curriculum within state academic standards. Many have a religious affiliation, and some expect substitutes to understand or share it, even without requiring formal membership.
Charter Schools
Charter schools set their own curriculum too, but answer to a higher bar for outcomes in exchange for that independence, and can be selective about which students, teachers, and substitutes they take on.
Substitute Teacher Organization
The National Education Association maintains ongoing guidance and advocacy for substitute teachers, including state-by-state licensing details, and it's a useful starting point for checking how your state's rules compare to the rest of the country.
What Is the Salary and Job Outlook for Substitute Teachers?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, substitute teachers earned a median hourly wage of $20.03 and a mean hourly wage of $22.32 as of May 2025, which works out to a mean annual wage of $46,420. Most subs aren't working full-time, so actual pay tracks how many days you pick up, not a fixed annual figure.
Employment is projected to grow about 1.6% between 2024 and 2034, according to Projections Central, with 61,100 openings expected each year, making substitute teaching one of the few growing roles in K-12 education even as several full-time teaching occupations hold flat or decline.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Median Hourly Wage (May 2025) | $20.03 |
| Mean Hourly Wage (May 2025) | $22.32 |
| Mean Annual Wage (May 2025) | $46,420 |
| Employment (2025) | 524,770 |
| Projected Job Growth (2024-2034) | +1.6% |
| Average Annual Openings | 61,100 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a degree to substitute teach?
Education requirements vary widely by state and district. Some states require a bachelor's degree, which can usually be in any subject. Others accept an associate degree, a set number of college credit hours, or a high school diploma paired with a short training course instead. Check your specific state's rule rather than assuming a four-year degree is required.
Do you need a teaching credential to become a substitute?
A standard classroom-teaching license isn't required for every substitute position, but some states require a substitute-specific permit, license, authorization, or certificate. Requirements vary by state, and holding a full teaching credential can still make you a stronger candidate for long-term assignments in states that don't require one outright.
Do substitute teachers need a background check?
Background-check requirements vary by jurisdiction. At least 17 states and D.C. require a criminal background or fingerprint check as part of state licensing, and whether a check happens through the state, the hiring district, or both depends on where you're applying.
Is there a way to become a substitute without a four-year degree?
In a number of states, yes. States that don't require a bachelor's degree typically set a minimum credit-hour threshold instead, often paired with a state-approved substitute training course rather than a full degree program. The specifics differ enough by state that it's worth checking directly with your applicable state educator-credentialing agency.
How old do you have to be to be a substitute teacher?
There's no single national minimum. A few states spell one out: New Mexico sets 18 for K-8 assignments and 21 for grades 9-12, and Virginia allows 18 but prefers 21. Most states don't set an age requirement at all and let the degree or credit-hour requirement set the practical floor instead.
- There's no single national requirement - about 27 states and D.C. issue a formal substitute credential, and the specifics differ by state and often by district within it.
- Degree requirements vary by state - some states require a bachelor's degree, while others accept a high school diploma, an associate degree, or a set number of college credits, sometimes paired with a short training course.
- Background-check requirements vary by jurisdiction - required at the state level in at least 17 states and D.C., with district-level checks depending on where you're applying.
- Substitute teaching is one of the few growing K-12 roles - Projections Central estimates 1.6% growth through 2034, with about 61,100 openings a year, even as several full-time teaching occupations hold flat or decline.
- A standard teaching license isn't required in every state - some states issue a substitute-specific permit or certificate instead, and certified teachers can also substitute for a more flexible schedule.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, High School Teachers, and Substitute Teachers. Job growth projections (2024-2034) are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2026.
Requirements are only the first hurdle: the bigger question is finding a path into the classroom that fits your schedule and your existing degree. The sponsored programs on this page include options for people who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field and want a faster route to a teaching credential.