Substitute Teacher job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

13

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$41,670

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Substitute Teachers, Short-Term (O*NET-SOC 25-3031.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Enforce school and class rules to maintain order in the classroom. importance 4.7 of 5
2. Answer students' questions. importance 4.7 of 5
3. Follow lesson plans designed by absent teachers. importance 4.6 of 5
4. Take class attendance and maintain attendance records. importance 4.5 of 5
5. Supervise students during activities outside the classroom, such as recess, lunch, and field trips. importance 4.4 of 5
6. Teach social skills to students, such as communication, conflict resolution, and etiquette. importance 4.3 of 5
7. Tutor or assist students individually or in small groups. importance 4.3 of 5
8. Distribute or collect tests or homework assignments. importance 4.2 of 5
9. Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students. importance 4.2 of 5
10. Teach a variety of subjects, such as English, mathematics, and social studies. importance 4.2 of 5
11. Operate equipment such as computers or audio-visual aids to supplement presentations. importance 4.1 of 5
12. Counsel students with adjustment or academic problems. importance 4.0 of 5
13. Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, or teacher training workshops to improve professional competence. importance 3.5 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Getting Information, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Assisting and Caring for Others and Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
• Organize and supervise games or other recreational activities.
• Assist students with boarding or exiting school buses.
• Grade students' assignments and exams.
• Restock teaching materials or supplies.

Knowledge areas: English Language, Education and Training, Public Safety and Security and Customer and Personal Service.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Common Curriculum, EasyCBM, Edmodo. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a substitute teacher.

The most common answer among substitute teachers surveyed by O*NET is a bachelor's degree (40%).

Job title: Substitute Teacher
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Substitute Teacher to teach students on a short-term basis as a temporary replacement for a regular classroom teacher, typically using the regular teacher's lesson plan.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.
- Supervise students during activities outside the classroom, such as recess, lunch, and field trips.
- Teach social skills to students, such as communication, conflict resolution, and etiquette.
- Tutor or assist students individually or in small groups.
- Distribute or collect tests or homework assignments.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in reading comprehension, active listening and speaking
- Working knowledge of English Language and Education and Training
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $41,670 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $20.03. BLS estimates about 524,770 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Substitute Teachers, Short-Term to grow 2.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 65,000 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full substitute teacher salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real substitute teacher posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Enforce school and class rules to maintain order in the classroom”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only substitute teacher work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (reading comprehension and active listening); substitute teacher interview questions turns them into practice questions.