NC House GOP bill would raise teacher pay 22%. Does it have a chance of passing?
Excitement is building over a state House Republican proposal to sharply raise teacher pay, but it has an uphill battle to win legislative approval.
House Bill 192 would give North Carolina teachers a 22% raise and restore extra pay for teachers who have a master’s degree. The new proposed state salary scale would range from $50,000 for a beginning teacher to $68,230 for teachers with 25 or more years of experience.
The bill’s four primary sponsors, all Republicans, are Erin Paré of Wake County, Donny Lambeth of Forsyth County, Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County and Mike Schietzelt of Wake County. The bill has picked up more than 50 Republican and Democratic sponsors since being filed on Feb. 25.
“It would be a very dramatic increase in teacher pay,” said Geoff Coltrane, senior director of government affairs and strategy at the state Department of Public Instruction. “The cost of that bill is about $1.5 billion. It’s interesting that Republican leadership — Rep. Lambeth is one of the chairs of the Appropriations Committee — has put out a bill like this.”
But Coltrane also warned the State Board of Education on Wednesday that there are big questions if the plan is feasible given the state’s revenue picture.
Raising starting teacher salary to $50,000
Teacher pay has been a perennial issue in North Carolina.
Last year, the National Education Association ranked North Carolina 42nd in beginning teacher pay and projected the state at 41st in overall teacher pay.
House Bill 192 would provide a $9,000 raise on the current state starting salary of $41,000. It would provide a $12,280 increase on the current top salary of $55,950.
“Proud to file this bill today to raise starting salaries for our teachers to $50k, restore master’s pay, and study a dollar allotment system for pay so local districts have more flexibility to pay more for hard to hire positions, for example,” Paré posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Feb. 25.
The state and many counties also supplement the base salary. With the supplements, the NEA estimated last year that the average teacher salary in North Carolina was $58,292.
Pay raise bill has bipartisan support
The legislation has been backed by the North Carolina Association of Educators and Democratic State Superintendent Mo Green.
NCAE is calling the bill a hopeful sign. But It will take legislative leadership to get the bill passed, according to Tamika Walker Kelly, president of NCAE.
“The North Carolina Association of Educators is ready to talk with any lawmakers who are serious about raising teacher pay to the level it will take to attract and retain good people,” Walker Kelly said in a statement posted on social media on Feb. 28. “We are heartened by the bipartisan support, and we want to work with you.”
Green said in a statement on X on Tuesday that the bill shows legislators understand that educator compensation must match the importance of their work.
“This proposal aligns perfectly with my commitment to uplift public education by revering the professionals who serve our students every day,” Green said. “I look forward to working alongside legislators to advance this important priority and call on all champions of NC public education to do the same.”
Will Senate back pay raises?
It’s definitely not a given that the General Assembly will approve the legislation.
Historically, the House has proposed higher teacher raises than the Senate is willing to fund. In addition, Senate leader Phil Berger was an outspoken supporter of the 2013 decision to stop paying teachers 10% extra if they had an advanced degree.
Berger’s office did not return a request for comment Wednesday from The News & Observer about House Bill 192.
The other uncertainty comes from the state’s revenue picture.
For 2025-2026, the state’s revenue forecast shows a year-over-year growth rate of just 0.5%, followed by a 2.4% drop in 2026-2027, The N&O previously reported.
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has called on the Republican-controlled state legislature to freeze planned tax cuts due to the “fiscal cliff.”
