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School district · North Carolina · LEAID 3701620

Gaston County Schools

Gaston County Schools sits in the highest third of North Carolina districts on estimated teacher pay at $51,991 (above 92% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Gaston County Schools come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$51,991
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$12,921
Per-pupil spending
30,281
Students enrolled
92nd
Pct. in NC
$51,991

Gaston County Schools sits in the highest third of North Carolina districts on estimated teacher pay at $51,991 (above 92% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $51,991, below the national average of $70,245, serving 30,281 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Upper-third pay in state: Gaston County Schools sits in the highest third of North Carolina districts on estimated teacher pay at $51,991 (above 92% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 92nd percentile for North Carolina
  • 19th percentile nationally
  • 37% 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.
  • Gaston County Schools ranks #9 of 115 North Carolina districts by estimated teacher salary and #95 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
  • +7.1% 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, Gaston County Schools's instructional payroll puts 70.5% into regular program , 8.7 points above the state median of 61.8%. Regular-program teachers claim more of the instructional salary pool here than at the median North Carolina district.

Program Gaston County NC median Gap
Regular program 70.5% 61.8% +8.7 pp
Special education 9.2% 11.1% -1.9 pp
Vocational programs 6.2% 7.1% -0.9 pp
Other programs 14.1% 19.7% -5.7 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 3701620 · FY2023.

LEAID 3701620 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Gaston County F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-ABOVE +4% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P92 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P19 national PPE-LOW $13K/pupil ENR-LARGE 30.3K students INSTR-MID 37% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Chapel FY-2023-HEAVY FY2023 book

FY2023: $51,991 estimated average teacher salary · P92 in North Carolina · P19 nationally · 37% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Chapel ($44est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Gaston County

Salary neighbourhood · Gaston County

Gaston County already leads 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 Gaston County

Gaston County Schools's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$51,991 19th percentile higher than 19% 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%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Gaston County 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

Gaston County in North Carolina's upper-third pay band

Same 115 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Gaston County Schools ranks #9 of 115 North Carolina districts by estimated teacher salary and #95 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

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Gaston County Schools is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Hyde County Schools leads spending at $39,566 per pupil; Camden County Schools leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$51,990.548

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
$55,075

+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 Gaston County Schools

What the Numbers Say About Gaston County Schools

Gaston County Schools is a mid-sized school district in North Carolina, serving 30,281 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $12,921. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $51,991, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3701620 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 Gaston County Schools runs roughly in line with the state benchmark, a 4.2% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (26.0% differential). Among enrolling districts in North Carolina, it pays more than 92% 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, Gaston County Schools reports $391.3M in total expenditure against $394.8M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 37% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $67.0M, special-education teacher pay is $8.8M.

How does Gaston County 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.

Gaston County Schools $51,991
Wake County Schools $50,350
North Carolina avg $49,898
National avg $70,245

Gaston County Schools pays +3.3% more than Wake County Schools · per-pupil $12,921 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, Gaston County Schools sits closest to Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Rowan-Salisbury 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. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
  2. Henderson County Schools
  3. Buncombe County Schools
  4. Carteret County Public Schools
  5. Catawba County Schools
  6. Burke County Schools
  7. Chatham County Schools
  8. Lincoln County Schools
  9. Caldwell County Schools
  10. New Hanover County Schools
  11. Pender County Schools
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Rowan-Salisbury Schools
  2. Caldwell County Schools
  3. Catawba County Schools
  4. Burke County Schools
  5. Nash County Public Schools
  6. Duplin County Schools
  7. Iredell-Statesville Schools
  8. Craven County Schools
  9. Sampson County Schools
  10. Cumberland County Schools
  11. Lenoir County Public Schools

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Gaston County Schools's enrollment scale

Two out-of-state peer sets for Gaston County Schools: closest on enrollment (30,281 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($51,991 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

$394.8M
Total Revenue
$391.3M
Total Expenditure
$142.9M
Instruction Salaries
37% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$67.0M
Regular Program
$8.8M
Special Education
$5.9M
Vocational
$13.4M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Gaston County 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 67% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 33% 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. Gaston County Schools sits in the upper quarter of that field at 9 of 113, nearer the ceiling than the floor. 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.

Richmond County Schools
$49,004
6,678 students
Haywood County Schools
$51,811
6,605 students
Durham Public Schools
$49,130
31,531 students
Onslow County Schools
$46,776
27,921 students
Cabarrus County Schools
$49,503
34,810 students
New Hanover County Schools
$50,896
25,244 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 Gaston County Schools
What is the average teacher salary in Gaston County Schools?

The average teacher salary in Gaston County Schools is $51,991 (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 Gaston County Schools teacher pay compare to the North Carolina average?

Gaston County Schools pays 4.2% more than the North Carolina state average of $49,898. The district's average is $51,991.

How does Gaston County Schools teacher pay compare to the national average?

Gaston County Schools pays 26.0% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $51,991.

What is the per-pupil spending in Gaston County Schools?

Gaston County Schools spends approximately $12,921 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Gaston County Schools's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 37% of Gaston County Schools's total expenditure of $391.3M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Gaston County 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. Gaston County 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.