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School district · North Carolina · LEAID 3704720

Wake County Schools

Per-pupil spending, enrollment, budget, and an estimated average teacher salary of $82,309 for Wake County Schools - NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2022).

$82,309
Est. avg teacher salary
$14,074
Per-pupil spending
160,099
Students enrolled
93rd
Pct. in NC
$82,309

Wake County Schools (North Carolina) reports an estimated average teacher salary of $82,309, meaningfully above the North Carolina average and near the national average, from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 fiscal survey (FY2022). It serves 160,099 students.

  • 93rd percentile for North Carolina
  • 65th percentile nationally
  • 40% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • +26.4% since FY2019

Avg Teacher Salary

$82,309

Estimated from instructional expenditure / FTE

Per-Pupil Spending

$14,074

Total expenditure / enrollment

Student Enrollment

160,099 students

Salary vs State Average 100.0%

8.0% above North Carolina average

Nationally, Wake County Schools's estimated average out-pays 65% 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.)

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

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$82,309 Top 35% higher than 65% 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. Wake 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, FY2022 · FY2022

What stands out about Wake County Schools

  • With 160,099 students, it is the 14th-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 $1.99B puts it among just 21 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 Wake County Schools

Wake County Schools is a large urban school district in North Carolina, serving 160,099 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $14,074. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from instructional expenditure variable Z33 divided by teacher FTE, is $82,309, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3704720 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 Wake County Schools runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 8.0% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $85,759 (4.0% differential). Among enrolling districts in North Carolina, it pays more than 93% of them.

Budget figures show Wake County Schools reporting $2253.3M in total expenditure against $1990.8M in revenue, where instructional salaries make up 40% of spending, a ratio reflecting how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $305.9M, special-education teacher pay is $67.7M.

How does Wake 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.

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

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

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 Wake County Schools, with enrollment kept within a comparable band.

Similar per-pupil investment

Spending-nearest districts to Wake County Schools, with salary and enrollment reliability checks applied.

Revenue & Expenditure

$1990.8M
Total Revenue
$2253.3M
Total Expenditure
$902.2M
Instruction Salaries
40% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$305.9M
Regular Program
$67.7M
Special Education
$29.5M
Vocational
$145.4M
Other Programs

Other North Carolina Districts

Surry County Schools
$68,368
7,300 students
Orange County Schools
$80,959
7,200 students
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
$81,300
143,244 students
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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average teacher salary in Wake County Schools?

Wake County Schools's average teacher salary is $82,309, per NCES CCD FY2022 data -- total instructional salary expenditure divided by the district's own reported teacher headcount.

How does Wake County Schools teacher pay compare to the North Carolina average?

Wake County Schools pays 8.0% more than the North Carolina state average of $76,187. The district's average is $82,309.

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

Wake County Schools pays 4.0% below the national average of $85,759. The district average is $82,309.

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

Wake County Schools spends approximately $14,074 per student annually (NCES FY2022). This includes instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

How many students are enrolled in Wake County Schools?

Wake County Schools has 160,099 students enrolled according to NCES CCD FY2022 data.

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

Instructional salaries account for 40% of Wake County Schools's total expenditure of $2253.3M (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. Wake County 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.