SalaryExplorer

SOC 25-3031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term — Harrisonburg

Harrisonburg, VA · 8 metro areas compared

$29,240 /year
$14.06per hour
360jobs in area
−29.8%vs US median

The median wage for Substitute Teachers, Short-Term in Harrisonburg, VA is $29,240 per year, substantially below the national median of $41,670 — a gap of 29.8%.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $41,670MEDIAN$29,24090TH$29,240

How pay has moved

The next ten years

Projected to grow more slowly than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+1.6%
Openings per year
61,100
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

5.0% of people in this occupation work for themselves.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Harrisonburg, VA.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Substitute Teachers, Short-Term in Harrisonburg, VA is $29,240 per year, substantially below the national median of $41,670 — a gap of 29.8%. Half of workers earn between $29,240 and $29,240. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $29,240 and the ninetieth at $29,240.

The area has 360 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 5.6 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, Virginia Beach records the highest median at $45,800. Of the 257 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 246th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Harrisonburg, VA · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$29,240−29.8%
25th$29,240−29.8%
Median (50th)$29,240−29.8%
75th$29,240−29.8%
90th$29,240−29.8%
Mean$29,560−29.1%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Virginia

Median annual wage for Substitute Teachers, Short-Term, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Virginia Beach$45,8002,750
2Charlottesville$37,870560
3Roanoke$36,670620
4Winchester$35,900410
5Richmond$35,2304,160
6Staunton$28,750320
7Blacksburg$27,720370
8Lynchburg$27,360580

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Harrisonburg run 5.1% below the national average, so the median of $29,240 goes as far as $30,811 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 26.1% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$29,240as reported by BLS

Local price level

94.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$30,811US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $29,240 a year, 29.8% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $29,240 to $29,240 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 360 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Virginia Beach, at $45,800.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Substitute Teachers, Short-Term in Harrisonburg, VA?

The median annual wage is $29,240, or $14.06 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $41,670, so pay in Harrisonburg, VA is 29.8% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Harrisonburg, VA earns more than $29,240 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $29,240 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Virginia Beach, at $45,800 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 360 jobs in this occupation in Harrisonburg, VA. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Substitute Teachers, Short-Term Salary in Harrisonburg, VA (2025): $29,240 Median | Salary Explorer