How to Get a Pay Raise

Substitute teachers in the McCook School District will soon have something to celebrate (and some extra cash to ensure they celebrate in style). The local board of education voted to give substitute teachers a pay raise during their recent meeting. Going forward, every substitute will now receive $100 a day, rather than being paid on a graduating scale from $75 to $95. That was great news for the local teachers because they had not had a raise in over five years.

There is good news for you if you want a pay raise too.

Some substitutes are patient. They prefer to wait until the teacher’s union and the school district hammer out a new contact the calls for a pay hike. This approach works, but you could be waiting a very long time before you see more green in your bank account.

Instead, for those who are not as patient, there is another option. In fact, there are three of them. Each will help to generate more income per day to help offset the costs of paying for your own insurance.

1. Shop Around. Like all other organizations in capitalistic societies, school districts have to compete for the best employees. As such, substitutes will find that a six hour day in one school district may be worth $75, while it could be worth $140 in a neighboring district. Thus, substitutes should sign up to work in multiple school districts, focusing their effort on those that pay the most. Usually, the cost of gas to drive over to the neighboring city will be offset by the increased daily rate.

2. Become a Tutor. Parents are always looking for someone skilled in a particular field to help tutor their children. For as little as an hour a day after school, substitute teachers can make an extra 15-30 dollars tutoring students in various academic subjects. In addition, substitutes can also offer test preparation and consulting services to future SAT and ACT takers. Also, substitutes can promote their services before or after class. Thus, if you tend to substitute at one or two schools often, make some business cards and hand them out to the parents. You will start getting calls in no time.

3. Coach a Sport. Many schools are desperate for good coaches. They will pay over $1000 per season in order to have someone take over a program, especially smaller programs like badminton and field events. In many cases, schools are willing to take a chance on substitute teachers who have some experience with the sport (this includes just being a fan) and give them the top role on a team. Although coaching is a rather large time commitment, it only lasts about four months and it allows you to get more involved with the local community.