Do you get paid by the state of North Carolina? Here’s your raise this year
READ MORE
The state is flush — and it’s keeping the cash
North Carolina’s 2022 state budget, written by a small group of powerful politicians, passed into law with no opportunities for others to ask for changes. The big winner is the state savings fund, while money for state worker pay, tax cuts and Medicaid expansion are losers. Follow the money and take a deep dive behind the scenes.
Expand All
With inflation raging and recession feared, NC budget focuses on saving, not spending
Plenty of pork in new NC budget, with millions heading home to top lawmakers’ districts
New NC budget written in secret, with no input from the public or even many legislators
Do you get paid by the state of North Carolina? Here’s your raise this year
5 things to know about the state budget now that it’s law in North Carolina
State employees and teachers got a slight bump in raises after Gov. Roy Cooper signed the 2022 budget into law. This year’s raises are well below the current rate of inflation. If your salary is paid at least in part by the state government, here’s what’s coming to you in 2022:
State employees raises
State employees were already getting a 2.5% raise when the fiscal year started in July, and the new budget added another 1%, bringing it to 3.5%.
Teacher raises
The starting base salary funded by the state for a new teacher was raised to $37,000 a year from $35,460.
Teachers will receive an average raise of 4.2% this year. Some teachers whose pay is supplemented by their local school district may receive raises from their districts as well. Teachers may also receive supplemental pay based on levels of licensure and certifications. Bonuses for teachers based on different metrics of student growth is a new program for the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Here is the new 10-month salary schedule by experience for licensed public schools personnel who are classified as teachers:
▪ No experience: $3,700
▪ 1 year: $3,800
▪ 2 years: $3,900
▪ 3 years: $4,000
▪ 4 years: $4,100
▪ 5 years: $4,200
▪ 6 years: $4,300
▪ 7 years: $4,400
▪ 8 years: $4,500
▪ 9 years: $4,600
▪ 10 years: $4,700
▪ 11 years: $4,800
▪ 12 years: $4,900
▪ 13 years: $5,000
▪ 14 years: $5,100
▪ 15 to 24 years: $5,200
▪ 25 and more years: $5,400
A new signing bonus program starting this year by the Department of Public Instruction will give new hires bonuses of up to $1,000 if matched by local school districts.
Bonuses for retired state workers, teachers
Retired North Carolina state employees and teachers who are part of the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System will get a one-time 4% cost of living bonus this fall. The total comes from the 3% promised in the 2021 budget plus an additional 1% added in the 2022 budget. It will be paid between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31 this year to a retiree or beneficiary who retired on or before Sept. 1.
NC Community Colleges employees
Community college employees across the state received raises of 3.5% this year. The minimum salaries for full-time curriculum community college faculty was also raised by about $800, depending on level of education. The minimum faculty salary ranges from $40,254 to $48,503, depending on education level, from a vocational diploma to a doctoral degree.
UNC System employees
The budget requires the UNC Board of Governors to give 3.5% across-the-board raises to employees both under and exempt from the State Human Resources Act, as well as teachers at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.
Noncertified school personnel pay
All noncertified school personnel who are full-time, permanent employees will now earn at least $15 an hour, a new minimum wage.
Prisons, state law enforcement
The salary schedule increased for corrections, probation and parole, and state law enforcement officers, depending on years of experience. The starting salary for state law enforcement was raised to $49,516 a year.
Raises for governor, elected officials
Gov. Roy Cooper received a raise from $162,577 to $165,750.
The nine other positions on the Council of State — the lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, superintendent of public instruction, state treasurer, state auditor, labor commissioner, insurance commissioner and agriculture commissioner — all received raises from an annual salary of $143,619 to $146,421.
For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Under the Dome politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it at https://campsite.bio/underthedome or wherever you get your podcasts.
This story was originally published July 20, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
.jpg)