Career Explorer Education
Changing shape
Substitute teachers, short-term
Teach students on a short-term basis as a temporary replacement for a regular classroom teacher, typically using the regular teacher's lesson plan.
Changing faster than most: more resilient than 29% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is moderate (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it high), and US jobs are projected to change by +2.0% by 2035, slower than average. The work leans on emotional intelligence.
AI can do many of the tasks, and hiring is expected to grow slower than average or to shrink. The job is likely to change, so build the human parts of it.
- Median pay (2025)
- $41,670
- Job growth to 2035
- +2.0%
- Openings a year
- 65,000
- People doing it (2025)
- 556,000
- Usual route in
- Bachelor's degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Teach academic or vocational subjects
- Monitor individual behavior or performance
- Advise others on educational or vocational matters
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Distribute materials, supplies, or resources
- Operate audiovisual or related equipment
- Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance
What the work looks like
- Enforce school and class rules to maintain order in the classroom.
- Answer students' questions.
- Follow lesson plans designed by absent teachers.
- Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.
- Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- More of these jobs, as an increase in paid leave for full-time teachers will increase demand for short-term substitute teachers relative to other occupations.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Teaching assistants, postsecondaryChanging shape, Index 32, +2.7%
- Environmental science and protection technicians, including healthGrows with AI, Index 47, +6.9%
- Financial examinersGrows with AI, Index 30, +9.3%
- Food science techniciansGrows with AI, Index 52, +4.8%
Also known as: Building Sub (Building Substitute), Short-Term Sub Teacher (Short-Term Substitute Teacher), Sub (Substitute), Sub Teacher (Substitute Teacher), Building Sub Teacher (Building Substitute Teacher), Child Development Sub Teacher (Child Development Substitute Teacher), ESL Sub (English as a Second Language Substitute), HS Sub Teacher (High School Substitute Teacher).
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.