NC one of the worst in teacher pay ahead of Raleigh protest. Where does it rank?
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- NEA report ranks North Carolina 46th in teacher pay nationally for this school year.
- North Carolina's estimated average teacher salary fell to $59,971 this school year.
- Thousands of educators are expected to march in Raleigh on May 1.
A new report shows North Carolina is falling on national teacher pay rankings just as thousands of educators are expected to march on Raleigh this week.
The new data released Monday from the National Education Association shows North Carolina ranked 43rd in teacher pay last school year, the same as the prior year. But the new NEA report estimates that North Carolina has fallen three spots this school year to 46th nationally out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
“This year, North Carolina is the only state in the country where average teacher salaries are projected to decrease, not stay flat,” Tamika Waker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, which is the state’s NEA affiliate, said at a press conference Monday. “When corporations get tax cut after tax cut, something has to give, and what has given is teacher pay, and our kids have suffered for it and continue to suffer.”
The report comes as NCAE has been encouraging teachers across the state to call out of work on Friday to join their protest in Raleigh. At least nine North Carolina school district have canceled classes on May 1 because so many of their employees have requested the day off.
The NEA salary rankings have been used as a measuring stick by both legislators and education groups for decades to gauge the adequacy of teacher pay.
NC drops three spots in new national teacher pay estimates
North Carolina was the only state that didn’t adopt a state budget this fiscal year. The budget impasse was the result of Republican legislative leaders being unable to agree on how much to cut taxes.
The lack of a state budget meant new raises weren’t given to teachers this school year. The result is a report released in March by the state Department of Public Instruction that said average teacher pay had dropped 1% this school year.
According to the NEA data, North Carolina’s estimated the average teacher salary this school year dropped to $59,971. That amount incudes both state pay, local pay supplements and additional bonuses teachers may receive.
Based on the estimated salary data for this school year, NEA says Arkansas, Montana and South Dakota moved ahead of North Carolina. North Carolina only remains ahead of Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and West Virginia in teacher pay.
Last school year, North Carolina was 43rd nationally in teacher pay with an average salary of $60,323.
One positive note from the data is that the state moved up one slot last year in beginning teacher pay to 38th in the nation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 10:05 AM.
