SOC 25-3031 · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term Salary in Chicago, IL

The average salary for substitute teachers, short-term in Chicago, Illinois is $44,750 a year ($21.51 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $43,460: half of the 11,110 people in this job in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 4% less than the U.S. average for this job ($46,420).

$44,750average per year

$21.51 / hourMedian $43,460Take-home ≈ $36,063

  • $33K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $43KMedian
  • $49K75th
  • $58K90th

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

11,110people in this job
-4%vs U.S. average
#3 of 8Illinois metros
104cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Substitute Teachers, Short-Term pay range in Chicago

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,940 a year or less, while the top 10% make $58,040 or more. The middle half of substitute teachers, short-term in Chicago earn between $36,200 and $49,470.

  • $33K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $43KMedian
  • $49K75th
  • $58K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$44,750$3,729$21.51
Median$43,460$3,622$20.89
Entry level (25th percentile)$36,200$3,017$17.40
Experienced (75th percentile)$49,470$4,122$23.78

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

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term pay in Chicago vs. Illinois and the U.S.

Substitute teachers, short-term in Chicago earn 3% more than the Illinois average ($43,430) and 4% less than the U.S. average ($46,420). At the median the gap is +4% against the U.S. median of $41,670.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Chicago$44,750$43,460$32,940$58,04011,110
Illinois$43,430$39,410$31,200$58,04017,220
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 Chicago

On the average salary of $44,750, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $36,063 a year, or $3,005 a month and $1,387 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IN$36,824$3,069
Working in IL$36,063$3,005

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

Illinois paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $44,750 buys what about $43,197 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 7.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $44,750 is worth in another city

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term salary in other Illinois cities

Chicago ranks 3rd of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job; Champaign pays the most ($52,840).

All Substitute Teachers, Short-Term salaries in Illinois

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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Reviewed before it counts. Substitute Teachers, Short-Term in Chicago, IL.

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term salary in Chicago: questions

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

$21.51 an hour on average, and $20.90 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,940 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,200, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $36,063 a year ($3,005 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $44,750.

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

The average here is 4% less 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.73, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.73).

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