Substitute teaching requirements by state - Swing Education

Substitute teaching requirements by state

If you are looking for part-time work that gives back to your community, you may be interested in becoming a substitute teacher. But where to start? Each state (and sometimes city or even school district) has different substitute teacher requirements, and it can be challenging to understand exactly what you need to do to become a substitute teacher.

At Swing, we’re dedicated to making the process of becoming a substitute teacher easier. We currently operate in Arizona, California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington, D.C. and we’ve created a comprehensive overview of the substitute teacher requirements in each of these states.

MORE GUIDES TO BECOMING A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER:
New Jersey
Texas
California
Arizona
Washington D.C.
Illinois
New York

We will continue to update this page as we work with new states, so check back if you are interested in becoming a substitute teacher in a state that’s not currently listed.

How to substitute teach in Arizona

Arizona has a relatively easy path to earning your substitute teaching certification. In fact, the state does not have any additional testing requirements.

Here are the qualifications for substitute teachers in Arizona:

To apply for certification, you’ll need to:

For more in-depth information on the requirements and steps for becoming a substitute teacher in Arizona, check out our Complete guide to substitute teaching in Arizona

How to become a substitute teacher in California

To substitute teach in California, you’ll likely want to get your substitute teaching permit. While not all substitute teaching roles require a permit, those with credentials have access to over two times as many positions (and higher pay!).

Here are the qualifications for substitute teachers in California:

To earn your substitute teaching credential, you’ll need to:

For more in-depth information on the requirements and steps for becoming a substitute teacher in California, check out our Complete guide to substitute teaching in California.

How to become a substitute teacher in Illinois

It’s also a great time to become a substitute teacher in Illinois because Chicago Public Schools has taken an innovative approach to incentivizing substitute teachers and improving the experience of being a substitute.

Here are the qualifications for substitute teachers in Illinois:

To earn your substitute teaching license or a Professional Educator License (PEL), you’ll need to:

For more in-depth information on the requirements and steps for becoming a substitute teacher in Illinois, check out our Complete guide to substitute teaching in Illinois.

How to become a substitute teacher in New Jersey

There are a few different paths to substitute teaching in New Jersey. The most straightforward one is to obtain your substitute credential, which allows you to work as a substitute for 20 instructional days per school year.

Here are the qualifications for substitute teachers in New Jersey:

To earn your substitute credential, you’ll need to:

For more in-depth information on the requirements and steps for becoming a substitute teacher in New Jersey, check out our Complete guide to substitute teaching in New Jersey.

How to become a substitute teacher in New York

Although New York state does not have a minimum educational requirement for substitute teachers, many schools, districts, and substitute teacher companies do. For this reason, Swing Education requires all of its New York substitute teachers to hold a bachelor’s degree.

Additionally, there are advantages to subbing with a certificate. For instance, without one, you are limited to working 40 days in a given school year. If you are working towards your certification at a rate of at least six semester hours per year, you can also teach in any capacity, for any number of days.

Here are the qualifications for substitute teachers in New York:

You can find more information about getting your full-time teaching certification in New York from the New York State Education Department.

For more in-depth information on the requirements and steps for becoming a substitute teacher in New York, check out our Complete guide to substitute teaching in New York.

How to become a substitute teacher in Texas

To substitute teach in Texas, you do not need a specific substitute credential. While some school districts post jobs that do require a permit, you can typically work as a substitute teacher (sometimes called an “associate teacher”) without one (although there are some benefits to earning your credential).

Here are the qualifications for substitute teachers in Texas:

For more in-depth information on the requirements and steps for becoming a substitute teacher in Texas, check out our Complete guide to substitute teaching in Texas.

How to become a substitute teacher in Washington D.C.

To substitute teach in Washington D.C., you do not need a specific substitute teacher permit, and a teaching certificate is also not required.

Here are the requirements for becoming a substitute teacher in Washington, D.C.:

For more in-depth information on the requirements and steps for becoming a substitute teacher in Washington, DC, check out our Complete guide to substitute teaching in Washington, DC.