GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
Best States to Be a Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a substitute teachers, short-term salary goes furthest in Alaska — a $66,920 BLS median worth $65,378 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 168.3).
Which US states are best for a substitute teachers, short-term after cost of living and tax?
For a substitute teachers, short-term, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Alaska #1: a $66,920 BLS median becomes $65,378 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 168.3). Nevada ranks last ($24,965, index 64.3). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Alaska ranks #1 of 50 states for a substitute teachers, short-term. Index 100 = the average state; 168.3 means pay goes 68.3% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedSubstitute Teachers, Short-Term — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $66,920 | — | 102.4 | $65,378 | 168.3 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $49,020 | $1,477 | 89.5 | $53,122 | 136.8 |
| 3 | California | $60,300 | $1,714 | 110.7 | $52,914 | 136.2 |
| 4 | Oregon | $58,280 | $4,296 | 103.4 | $52,229 | 134.5 |
| 5 | Washington | $55,740 | — | 107.0 | $52,087 | 134.1 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $58,530 | $2,918 | 110.0 | $50,579 | 130.2 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $50,390 | $1,938 | 98.6 | $49,130 | 126.5 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $42,570 | — | 89.0 | $47,854 | 123.2 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $43,950 | $1,177 | 94.1 | $45,457 | 117.0 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $44,870 | $1,378 | 97.6 | $44,575 | 114.8 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $49,790 | $1,887 | 109.9 | $43,587 | 112.2 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $45,590 | $1,110 | 102.3 | $43,489 | 112.0 |
| 13 | Maryland | $46,470 | $1,875 | 105.0 | $42,488 | 109.4 |
| 14 | Iowa | $37,230 | $1,375 | 87.8 | $40,855 | 105.2 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $37,690 | $882 | 90.1 | $40,851 | 105.2 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $36,990 | — | 92.7 | $39,907 | 102.8 |
| 17 | Ohio | $37,150 | $239 | 92.8 | $39,786 | 102.4 |
| 18 | Michigan | $39,500 | $1,432 | 96.2 | $39,564 | 101.9 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $43,780 | $871 | 108.8 | $39,437 | 101.5 |
| 20 | Georgia | $38,870 | $1,448 | 96.3 | $38,862 | 100.1 |
| 21 | Kansas | $36,190 | $1,220 | 90.1 | $38,827 | 100.0 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $36,400 | $645 | 92.2 | $38,775 | 99.8 |
| 23 | New York | $43,490 | $1,787 | 107.9 | $38,642 | 99.5 |
| 24 | Vermont | $38,200 | $861 | 98.0 | $38,117 | 98.1 |
| 25 | Indiana | $36,360 | $1,061 | 93.3 | $37,822 | 97.4 |
| 26 | Arizona | $38,500 | $488 | 100.7 | $37,757 | 97.2 |
| 27 | Illinois | $39,410 | $1,810 | 100.0 | $37,616 | 96.9 |
| 28 | Maine | $37,440 | $1,003 | 97.0 | $37,545 | 96.7 |
| 29 | Missouri | $34,790 | $754 | 90.8 | $37,477 | 96.5 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | $41,350 | $1,848 | 105.8 | $37,352 | 96.2 |
| 31 | Virginia | $39,020 | $1,444 | 101.1 | $37,166 | 95.7 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $38,460 | $806 | 103.6 | $36,342 | 93.6 |
| 33 | Florida | $37,080 | — | 103.4 | $35,856 | 92.3 |
| 34 | Utah | $36,490 | $1,660 | 98.9 | $35,230 | 90.7 |
| 35 | Delaware | $36,510 | $1,349 | 99.8 | $35,228 | 90.7 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $33,780 | $894 | 94.3 | $34,864 | 89.8 |
| 37 | Idaho | $34,080 | $820 | 95.5 | $34,829 | 89.7 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $34,990 | — | 104.2 | $33,591 | 86.5 |
| 39 | Texas | $32,040 | — | 97.1 | $33,012 | 85.0 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $29,230 | $931 | 86.9 | $32,551 | 83.8 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $29,500 | — | 91.9 | $32,111 | 82.7 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $30,400 | $355 | 93.7 | $32,048 | 82.5 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $29,730 | $1,058 | 90.2 | $31,801 | 81.9 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $27,840 | — | 88.6 | $31,427 | 80.9 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $27,370 | $446 | 88.2 | $30,524 | 78.6 |
| 46 | Montana | $28,050 | $613 | 94.6 | $28,989 | 74.6 |
| 47 | Alabama | $25,340 | $1,002 | 88.8 | $27,401 | 70.6 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $23,770 | $591 | 87.8 | $26,386 | 67.9 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $22,340 | $178 | 87.0 | $25,488 | 65.6 |
| 50 | Nevada | $24,960 | — | 100.0 | $24,965 | 64.3 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 50 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In Alaska, a $66,920 salary is worth about $65,378 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $66,920 · BEA cost of living 102.4 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $75,542, a $10,165 gain over Alaska.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $75,542 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $73,973 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $73,591 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $73,575 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $73,354 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $73,345 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $72,842 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $72,563 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $72,197 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $71,574 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $71,255 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $71,169 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a substitute teachers, short-term?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Alaska is the best state for a substitute teachers, short-term: a BLS median of $66,920 is worth $65,378 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 102.4), an index of 168.3 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Alaska has the highest headline BLS median for a substitute teachers, short-term at $66,920, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 50 on real pay (index 168.3). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a substitute teachers, short-term salary go least far?
- Nevada ranks last of 50 states for a substitute teachers, short-term: a $24,960 BLS median is worth only $24,965 after tax and cost of living (index 64.3). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a substitute teachers, short-term is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.