NC falls in national ranking on average teacher pay. Here’s where state ranks.
A new national report shows North Carolina is continuing to make gains in starting pay for teachers but is falling further behind in overall educator pay.
The annual salary report released Tuesday by the National Education Association ranks North Carolina 39th in the nation in beginning teacher pay, up three slots from last year. But the NEA says North Carolina fell five slots to 43rd in the nation in overall teacher pay and is projected to have dropped to 44th this school year.
The NEA salary rankings have been used as a measuring stick by both for legislators and education groups for decades to gauge the adequacy of teacher pay. It comes at a time when nearly 9,000 North Carolina teachers are leaving the profession each year.
“These annual rankings provide a clear view of how states stack up in supporting their educators,” Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, said in a news release Tuesday. “We know, just like so many North Carolinians do, that our educators and our children need and deserve more to thrive.
“The challenges we face in staffing our classrooms and providing students with qualified, dedicated teachers and staff are a direct result of our failure to invest adequately in those who educate and care for our children.”
The NEA reports can be found at www.nea.org/educatorpay.
Gains in beginning teacher pay
The NEA says North Carolina’s average salary for a beginning teacher has risen to $42,542. That’s up from $40,136 in last year’s report. The state has jumped seven slots in the NEA rankings from 46th in the nation two years ago.
State lawmakers have put more of a focus on raising salaries of beginning teachers than on pay for experienced educators. Beginning teachers have a higher turnover rate than experienced educators.
The state’s base salary for a new teacher is $41,000. Some school districts offer local salary supplements, so, for instance, a beginning teacher in Wake County would make $48,339.
The NEA says the national average starting teacher salary is $46,526.
NC slips in ranking on overall teacher pay
NEA says the average teacher salary last school year in North Carolina was $58,292 — up 3% from the 2022-23 school year. But the report says North Carolina dropped to 43rd in the nation in average teacher pay in the 2023-24 school year, down from 38th in the 2022-23 school year.
NCAE points to how the average teacher salary in North Carolina is nearly $14,000 less than the national average of $72,030. The group notes that North Carolina ranks behind its neighboring states in teacher pay: Georgia (23rd), Virginia (26th), South Carolina (36th), and Tennessee (38th).
The trend could be worsening based on initial estimates of the 2024-25 school year having North Carolina ranking 44th out the 50 states and the District of Columbia in average teacher pay. Using state Department of Public Instruction data, NEA estimates the average teacher salary in North Carolina to be $60,323 this school year.
NCAE blames the state’s low salary ranking for contributing to the teacher shortage in many public schools.
A state report released in April showed the teacher turnover rate was 9.88%. Nearly one out of every 10 North Carolina teachers left the profession between March 2023 and March 2024.
What will state do to address teacher shortage?
The new NEA report comes as state lawmakers are considering what to do with the state of the teaching profession.
The state House K-12 Education Committee is considering multiple bills impacting teachers, including eliminating K-3 class-size limits and allowing school districts to have half their teachers be unlicensed.
State lawmakers are also in the early stages of developing a budget for the next two years.
The budget adopted by the state Senate would provide teachers with an average 2.3% pay increase this year and an average increase of 3.3% over the next two years. Teachers would also get a $3,000 bonus.
On average, Senate Republicans say will teachers will receive additional compensation of 8.9% over the next two years.
The state House hasn’t released its budget yet. But there’s been bipartisan support in the House for a bill that would provide teachers with a 22% pay increase, including raising the state base salary for new teachers to $50,000.
House and Senate Republicans, who hold a majority in both chambers, will try to reach a budget to send to Gov. Josh Stein.
NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@newsobserver.com
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 10:46 AM.
