Substitute Teachers, Short-Term pay in California
$62,910avg. a year
$30.25 an hour · 115,660 employed
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term in California earn an average of $62,910 a year. That is $16,490 (36%) more than the U.S. average of $46,420. The best-paying metro area is Napa, CA at $72,780.
$60,300Median pay
$30.25Average hourly
+45%Avg. pay since 2020
#2Of 49 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for substitute teachers, short-term by metro area. Swipe to see all 25.
1300 jobs
Napa, CA
$72,780
$34.99 an hour
28,670 jobs
Fresno, CA
$72,220
$34.72 an hour
31,990 jobs
Modesto, CA
$70,990
$34.13 an hour
43,800 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$69,430
$33.38 an hour
5700 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$67,620
$32.51 an hour
63,060 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$66,410
$31.93 an hour
7450 jobs
Chico, CA
$65,390
$31.44 an hour
85,390 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$65,040
$31.27 an hour
92,100 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$64,240
$30.89 an hour
101,430 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$63,850
$30.70 an hour
111,220 jobs
Salinas, CA
$63,550
$30.55 an hour
1210,570 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$63,480
$30.52 an hour
139,480 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$61,430
$29.54 an hour
1435,740 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$61,070
$29.36 an hour
156,510 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$61,030
$29.34 an hour
1615,430 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$61,010
$29.33 an hour
17370 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$61,010
$29.33 an hour
18210 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$60,270
$28.97 an hour
191,450 jobs
Merced, CA
$60,240
$28.96 an hour
20610 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$59,410
$28.56 an hour
211,070 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$58,810
$28.27 an hour
22680 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$57,840
$27.81 an hour
23200 jobs
Redding, CA
$55,840
$26.85 an hour
241,880 jobs
Visalia, CA
$54,490
$26.20 an hour
25690 jobs
El Centro, CA
$54,300
$26.11 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California substitute teachers, short-term work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $37k$37k–$40k$40k–$46k$46k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $46,420 | $22.32 |
| California | $62,910 | $30.25 |
| Oregon | $61,100 | $29.38 |
| Arizona | $41,780 | $20.09 |
| Nevada | $31,550 | $15.17 |
Related jobs in California
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do substitute teachers, short-term make in California?
The average is $62,910 a year, and the median is $60,300. That is $16,490 (36%) more than the U.S. average of $46,420.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$30.25 an hour on average; the median is $28.99.
Where in California do they earn the most?
Napa, CA ($72,780), followed by Fresno, CA ($72,220). The lowest average among 25 metro areas with data is El Centro, CA ($54,300).
How does California rank?
California ranks #2 of 50 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 25-3031. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national substitute teachers, short-term page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.