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School district · North Carolina · LEAID 3701260

Durham Public Schools

Durham Public Schools spends $19,050 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable North Carolina districts with a reliable figure. Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Durham Public Schools come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$49,130
Est. avg teacher salary

Near benchmark

$19,050
Per-pupil spending
31,531
Students enrolled
30th
Pct. in NC
$49,130

Durham Public Schools spends $19,050 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable North Carolina districts with a reliable figure. Estimated average teacher salary is $49,130, below the national average of $70,245, serving 31,531 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • High per-pupil spending: Durham Public Schools spends $19,050 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable North Carolina districts with a reliable figure.
  • 30th percentile for North Carolina
  • 12th percentile nationally
  • 32% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • North Carolina ranks #47 of 49 on the salary estimate and #8 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Durham Public Schools ranks #81 of 115 North Carolina districts by estimated teacher salary and #8 of 115 by per-pupil spending. Camden County Schools pay #1 at $53,553 is not Hyde County Schools spending #1 at $39,566 per pupil
  • +11.2% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs North Carolina median

Among 116 North Carolina districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Durham Public Schools's instructional payroll puts 35.4% into other programs , 15.7 points above the state median of 19.7%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Durham Public NC median Gap
Regular program 47.4% 61.8% -14.4 pp
Special education 12.5% 11.1% +1.4 pp
Vocational programs 4.7% 7.1% -2.4 pp
Other programs 35.4% 19.7% +15.7 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 116 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 3701260 · FY2023.

LEAID 3701260 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Durham Public F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-INLINE Near state avg RANK-ST-LOW P30 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P12 national PPE-MID $19K/pupil ENR-LARGE 31.5K students INSTR-LOW 32% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Randolph FY-2023-HEAVY FY2023 book

FY2023: $49,130 estimated average teacher salary · P30 in North Carolina · P12 nationally · 32% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Randolph ($23est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Durham Public

Salary neighbourhood · Durham Public

Durham Public trails most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Durham Public

Durham Public Schools's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$49,130 12th percentile higher than 12% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). This entry sits in this band. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Above this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Above this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Above this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. Durham Public Schools $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, FY2023 · FY2023

What stands out about Durham Public Schools

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +11.2% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing North Carolina's statewide +5.8% by 5.4 points, a growth rate faster than 84% of the 116 North Carolina districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$49,129.546

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

North Carolina price level
94.4 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$52,045

+6% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in North Carolina run below the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. A district in a costlier state can advertise a larger nominal salary and still leave a teacher with less.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how North Carolina compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Durham Public Schools

What the Numbers Say About Durham Public Schools

Durham Public Schools is a mid-sized school district in North Carolina, serving 31,531 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $19,050. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $49,130, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3701260 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the North Carolina statewide average of $49,898, teacher pay in Durham Public Schools runs slightly below the state benchmark, a 1.5% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (30.1% differential). Among enrolling districts in North Carolina, it pays more than 30% of them. North Carolina itself ranks #47 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Durham Public Schools reports $600.7M in total expenditure against $532.9M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 32% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $55.1M, special-education teacher pay is $14.5M.

How does Durham Public 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.

Durham Public Schools $49,130
Wake County Schools $50,350
North Carolina avg $49,898
National avg $70,245

Durham Public Schools pays -2.4% less than Wake County Schools · per-pupil $19,050 vs $13,702

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable North Carolina districts

On pay, Durham Public Schools sits closest to Randolph County School System; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Randolph County School System
  2. Rockingham County Schools
  3. Nash County Public Schools
  4. Guilford County Schools
  5. Stanly County Schools
  6. Johnston County Public Schools
  7. Cabarrus County Schools
  8. Wilson County Schools
  9. Moore County Schools
  10. Alamance-Burlington Schools
  11. Wayne County Public Schools
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
  2. Chatham County Schools
  3. Buncombe County Schools
  4. Carteret County Public Schools
  5. Cleveland County Schools
  6. Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools
  7. Brunswick County Schools
  8. Alamance-Burlington Schools
  9. New Hanover County Schools
  10. Guilford County Schools
  11. Wilson County Schools

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Durham Public Schools's enrollment scale

Two out-of-state peer sets for Durham Public Schools: closest on enrollment (31,531 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($49,130 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$532.9M
Total Revenue
$600.7M
Total Expenditure
$194.1M
Instruction Salaries
32% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$55.1M
Regular Program
$14.5M
Special Education
$5.5M
Vocational
$41.2M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Durham Public Schools: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 60% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 40% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

North Carolina Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized North Carolina districts belongs to Camden County Schools at $53,553. Durham Public Schools places 80 of 113 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. Michigan and South Carolina are the states closest to North Carolina on BEA's price parity, which makes them the fair comparison; against a costlier state this salary goes further than its number suggests.

View all North Carolina districts →

Other North Carolina Districts

Large-district sample from 114 North Carolina peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.

Moore County Schools
$49,535
13,008 students
Brunswick County Schools
$50,217
12,944 students
Henderson County Schools
$52,055
12,896 students
Craven County Schools
$48,245
12,755 students
Burke County Schools
$51,690
11,770 students
Lincoln County Schools
$51,117
11,629 students

This is a sample of 6 from 114 North Carolina districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Durham Public Schools
What is the average teacher salary in Durham Public Schools?

The average teacher salary in Durham Public Schools is $49,130 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Durham Public Schools teacher pay compare to the North Carolina average?

Durham Public Schools pays 1.5% less than the North Carolina state average of $49,898. The district's average is $49,130.

How does Durham Public Schools teacher pay compare to the national average?

Durham Public Schools pays 30.1% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $49,130.

What is the per-pupil spending in Durham Public Schools?

Durham Public Schools spends approximately $19,050 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Durham Public Schools's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 32% of Durham Public Schools's total expenditure of $600.7M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Durham Public Schools
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

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Editorial standards & source notes

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. Durham Public Schools's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 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 FY2023.