Should You Substitute Teach Full-Time? The Honest Pros and Cons

Can you actually make a living as a full-time substitute teacher? Or is subbing just a side gig between "real" teaching jobs?

Let's do the math and talk honestly about what full-time subbing really looks like.

The Money Question

Typical substitute daily rate: $90-150 per day (varies widely by state and district)

Full-time calculation:

• 180 school days per year
• Assume you work 160 days (some days you won't get jobs)
• At $120/day average = $19,200/year

But wait - that's without benefits.

Add health insurance, retirement, and taxes, and you're looking at needing $25-30K in gross income just to match a $19K net teaching salary.

However: Some subs clear $40K+ by being strategic about:

• Taking long-term assignments (higher daily rate)
• Working every day
• Choosing higher-paying districts
• Building relationships that lead to direct requests

Pros of Full-Time Subbing

Flexibility

Choose your schedule. Don't want to work Fridays? Don't. Need a week off? Take it. This is the #1 reason people sub full-time.

No Grading or Lesson Planning

Leave work at work. No nights or weekends spent grading papers or creating lesson plans.

Variety

Different classrooms, different grades, different schools. Never boring.

Try Before You Buy

If you're looking for a full-time teaching position, subbing lets you experience different schools and grade levels before committing.

Lower Stress (Usually)

No parent conferences, no standardized test pressure, no faculty meetings.

Work When You Want

Need to take your kid to a doctor's appointment? No problem. Can't work this week? No explanation needed.

Cons of Full-Time Subbing

Income Instability

No guaranteed paycheck. Summer = no income. School breaks = no income. Sick day = no income.

No Benefits

Health insurance, retirement, sick days - you're on your own.

Lack of Respect

Let's be honest: Some students, parents, and even staff don't take subs seriously.

No Classroom of Your Own

You're always a visitor. No decorating, no building year-long student relationships, no "your" classroom.

Job Hunting Overhead

The time you spend finding jobs is unpaid work. Some days you'll spend an hour job-hunting to earn a 4-hour paycheck.

Inconsistent Schedule

Hard to plan your life when you don't know if you're working tomorrow until 6 AM.

The Break-Even Analysis

To sub full-time sustainably, you need:

Income:

• $120/day average (or higher)
• 140+ working days per year minimum
• Long-term assignments to boost average rate
• Second income or spouse's income for summer months

Systems:

• Efficient job hunting (not 2 hours per day refreshing Frontline)
• Good relationships with 3-5 schools for regular work
• Backup plan for slow months

Financial:

• Emergency fund (3-6 months expenses)
• Private health insurance or spouse's plan
• Self-employed retirement account (IRA)

Mental:

• Comfortable with income variability
• Don't need the structure of full-time employment
• Okay with being "temporary" forever

Who Thrives as a Full-Time Sub

Best candidates:

• Retirees with pension/social security
• Parents who need flexible schedules
• Semi-retired teachers
• People with side income (rental property, investments, spouse's income)
• Teachers exploring districts before committing
• Those prioritizing freedom over stability

Struggles as full-time sub:

• Single income with kids
• Need health insurance desperately
• Crave routine and stability
• Want to build long-term student relationships
• Need consistent income for mortgage

How to Make It Work

If you decide to sub full-time, here's how to succeed:

1. Diversify Districts

Don't rely on one district. Register with 2-3 nearby districts.

2. Build Your Reputation

Be the sub teachers request by name. This guarantees consistent work.

3. Target Long-Term Assignments

Maternity leave, sabbaticals, extended illness - these are your bread and butter.

4. Minimize Job-Hunting Time

Use tools like Sub Hero to automate job monitoring. The time you save is time you can actually earn money or enjoy life.

5. Plan for Summer

Have a summer income plan: Summer school, summer camp, save during the year, or alternative work.

6. Track Everything

Mileage (tax deduction), expenses, which schools pay best, which jobs lead to more work.

The Hybrid Approach

Many successful full-time subs actually aren't just subs:

• Sub + tutoring
• Sub + online teaching
• Sub + summer work
• Sub + part-time non-teaching work
• Sub + retired (pension + subbing)

This hybrid model gives you the flexibility of subbing with more income stability.

Bottom Line

Can you substitute teach full-time? Yes.

Should you? Depends on your financial situation, risk tolerance, and what you value.

Can you make decent money doing it? Yes, with the right strategies and systems.

The subs who thrive long-term are the ones who:

1. Have systems for consistent work

2. Are selective about which jobs they take

3. Don't spend hours daily job hunting

4. Have financial cushion for variability

Get Set Up for Success

If you're going full-time or trying to maximize your sub income, stop wasting time manually hunting for jobs.

Sub Hero handles the monitoring for you: app.getsubhero.com

Set your preferences, get instant alerts, accept jobs in one click. Some subs use the auto-accept feature to secure perfect jobs even while sleeping.

Sub Hero is one option for addressing this. It won't solve everything, but many subs find it helpful for reducing time spent on job hunting.

Plans start at $6.99/month. Most subs say it pays for itself by landing just one extra job per month.