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School district · North Carolina · LEAID 3702970

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

From the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2022): Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools pays an estimated average teacher salary of $81,300, alongside per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget figures.

$81,300
Est. avg teacher salary
$15,997
Per-pupil spending
143,244
Students enrolled
90th
Pct. in NC
$81,300

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (North Carolina) reports an estimated average teacher salary of $81,300, meaningfully above the North Carolina average and below the national average, from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 fiscal survey (FY2022). It serves 143,244 students.

  • 90th percentile for North Carolina
  • 64th percentile nationally
  • 32% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • +24.0% since FY2019

Avg Teacher Salary

$81,300

Estimated from instructional expenditure / FTE

Per-Pupil Spending

$15,997

Total expenditure / enrollment

Student Enrollment

143,244 students

Salary vs State Average 100.0%

6.7% above North Carolina average

Nationally, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools's estimated average out-pays 64% of the 11,460 US school districts with reliable F-33 salary data, placing it in the upper half of districts on this estimate. (A relative position on the F-33 figure, which runs above survey-reported salaries.)

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$81,300 Top 36% higher than 64% of 11,460 US districts

$30,000–$40,000: 66 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 375 US districts (3%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 1,529 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,648 US districts (23%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 2,442 US districts (21%). Below this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,413 US districts (12%). This entry sits in this band. $90,000–$100,000: 1,023 US districts (9%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 736 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 486 US districts (4%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 301 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 183 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 122 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 68 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 42 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 26 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. This district $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2022 · FY2022

What stands out about Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

  • With 143,244 students, it is the 17th-largest school district by enrollment among the 13,138 US districts reporting enrollment data.
  • A district of this scale typically enrolls more students than several entire states' worth of smaller districts combined, which is part of why the per-pupil and per-teacher figures here should be read as an aggregate across many schools rather than a single-campus estimate.
  • Its total annual revenue of $1.90B puts it among just 22 US districts operating a budget of this size or larger, out of the 13,138 districts in the NCES CCD F-33 survey, a scale that brings dedicated budget offices, multi-year capital planning, and district-wide procurement contracts that a small district's single-person business office cannot replicate.

What the Numbers Say About Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is a large urban school district in North Carolina, serving 143,244 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $15,997. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from instructional expenditure variable Z33 divided by teacher FTE, is $81,300, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3702970 references the FY2022 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the North Carolina statewide average of $76,187, teacher pay in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 6.7% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $85,759 (5.2% differential). Among enrolling districts in North Carolina, it pays more than 90% of them.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools reports $2291.5M in total expenditure on the budget side against $1900.3M in revenue, where instructional salaries make up 32% of spending, a ratio reflecting how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $283.2M, special-education teacher pay is $39.7M.

How does Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the North Carolina average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools $81,300
Wake County Schools $82,309
North Carolina avg $76,187
National avg $85,759

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools pays -1.2% less than Wake County Schools · per-pupil $15,997 vs $14,074

Estimated from NCES F-33 instructional salary expenditure (FY2022). Service entities excluded; estimates assume a 15:1 ratio.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable North Carolina districts

These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2022 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Similar estimated teacher pay

Salary-nearest districts to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, with enrollment kept within a comparable band.

Similar per-pupil investment

Spending-nearest districts to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, with salary and enrollment reliability checks applied.

Revenue & Expenditure

$1900.3M
Total Revenue
$2291.5M
Total Expenditure
$734.2M
Instruction Salaries
32% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$283.2M
Regular Program
$39.7M
Special Education
$23.9M
Vocational
$99.2M
Other Programs

Other North Carolina Districts

Guilford County Schools
$75,279
69,173 students
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools
$79,998
52,681 students
Cumberland County Schools
$72,378
48,860 students
Union County Public Schools
$78,412
40,600 students
Johnston County Public Schools
$74,421
37,823 students
Cabarrus County Schools
$70,624
33,562 students

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average teacher salary in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?

The average teacher salary in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is $81,300 (NCES CCD FY2022). This is based on total instructional salary expenditure divided by the district's REPORTED teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teacher pay compare to the North Carolina average?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools pays 6.7% more than the North Carolina state average of $76,187. The district's average is $81,300.

How does Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teacher pay compare to the national average?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools pays 5.2% below the national average of $85,759. The district average is $81,300.

What is the per-pupil spending in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?

NCES FY2022 data puts Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools's per-student spending at approximately $15,997 annually, covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

How many students are enrolled in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has 143,244 students enrolled according to NCES CCD FY2022 data.

What percentage of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 32% of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools's total expenditure of $2291.5M (NCES FY2022).

Where does this teacher salary data come from?

This data is sourced from two NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) surveys, Fiscal Year 2022: the F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey (instructional expenditure, variable Z33) and the Staff Universe Survey (reported teacher headcount). Salary figures divide the former by the latter, falling back to an enrollment-based estimate only when a district has no reported headcount. These are district-level aggregates, not individual salary records.

Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher Editorial

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According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2022 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2022.