SOC 25-3031 · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term Salary in San Jose, CA

The average salary for substitute teachers, short-term in San Jose, California is $69,430 a year ($33.38 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $72,330: half of the 3,800 people in this job in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 50% more than the U.S. average for this job ($46,420).

$69,430average per year

$33.38 / hourMedian $72,330Take-home ≈ $55,192

  • $50K10th
  • $61K25th
  • $72KMedian
  • $75K75th
  • $79K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

3,800people in this job
+50%vs U.S. average
#4 of 25California metros
110cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Substitute Teachers, Short-Term pay range in San Jose

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,520 a year or less, while the top 10% make $79,000 or more. The middle half of substitute teachers, short-term in San Jose earn between $61,470 and $75,480.

  • $50K10th
  • $61K25th
  • $72KMedian
  • $75K75th
  • $79K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$69,430$5,786$33.38
Median$72,330$6,028$34.77
Entry level (25th percentile)$61,470$5,122$29.55
Experienced (75th percentile)$75,480$6,290$36.29

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term pay in San Jose vs. California and the U.S.

Substitute teachers, short-term in San Jose earn 10% more than the California average ($62,910) and 50% more than the U.S. average ($46,420). At the median the gap is +74% against the U.S. median of $41,670.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
San Jose$69,430$72,330$49,520$79,0003,800
California$62,910$60,300$39,040$78,670115,660
United States$46,420$41,670$28,560$65,790524,770

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term salary after taxes in San Jose

On the average salary of $69,430, a single filer in San Jose takes home about $55,192 a year, or $4,599 a month and $2,123 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is San Jose a good place for substitute teachers, short-term? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the San Jose area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 110.4), so the average $69,430 buys what about $62,876 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in San Jose ($84,050). A typical home costs $1,610,466, or 23.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $69,430 is worth in another city

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term salary in other California cities

San Jose ranks 4th of 25 California metro areas for this job; Napa pays the most ($72,780).

All Substitute Teachers, Short-Term salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for substitute teachers, short-term

Anchorage, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($85,170).

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term salary by city

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Substitute Teachers, Short-Term salary in San Jose: questions

How much do substitute teachers, short-term make an hour in San Jose?

$33.38 an hour on average, and $34.78 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level substitute teachers, short-term salary in San Jose?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,520 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,470, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the substitute teachers, short-term take-home pay in San Jose?

About $55,192 a year ($4,599 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $69,430. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do substitute teachers, short-term earn more in San Jose than elsewhere?

The average here is 50% more than the U.S. average for this job ($46,420).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 25-3031; area San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (41940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.6%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.99, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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