State profile · NCES F-33 FY2022
North Carolina Teacher Salaries
Estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending across 116 public school districts in North Carolina, from the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey.
- $77,115
- Est. state avg salary
- -6.3%
- vs national
- #29
- National rank
- 116
- Districts
What does the NCES F-33 data show for North Carolina?
North Carolina reports 116 public school districts in the NCES Common Core of Data FY2022 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, with an estimated average teacher salary of $77,115. That places the state in the middle third of US teacher-pay rankings — #29 of 51, below the national F-33 estimate of $82,292 (-6.3%). The state's public schools serve 1,392,119 students across these districts.
Among enrolling districts, pay varies widely: Hyde County Schools reports the highest estimated average salary at $132,607, while Iredell-Statesville Schools sits at the lower end at $64,039 — a spread of $68,568 between top and bottom reporting districts. Licensing rules, state aid formulas, collective bargaining density, and local tax bases all drive this intra-state variation. Urban and suburban districts with larger tax bases typically lead, while rural districts often lag despite lower cost of living.
Teacher compensation here reflects both state policy choices — the statutory minimum salary schedule, pension funding levels, licensure reciprocity — and the funding formula that determines how much state aid each district receives per pupil. A #29 national rank signals where North Carolina sits in the competition for teachers against neighboring states; teacher shortage areas typically correlate with lower pay rank. Figures below are per-district estimates derived from the F-33 instructional salary expenditure field (Z33) divided by estimated teacher FTE — a district-level aggregate, not individual salary records.
Highest-paying districts in North Carolina
Estimated average teacher salary, enrolling districts (200+ students)
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$132,607 Est. avg salary
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$110,014 Est. avg salary
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$106,165 Est. avg salary
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$98,709 Est. avg salary
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$95,600 Est. avg salary
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$95,431 Est. avg salary
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$95,291 Est. avg salary
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$94,594 Est. avg salary
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$94,021 Est. avg salary
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$93,117 Est. avg salary
What this shows Hyde County Schools leads North Carolina on the F-33 instructional-salary estimate. Service entities (CTCs, county offices) are excluded — their enrollment-based ratios are not reliable salary figures.
Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary
| District | Est. Avg Salary | Enrollment | Per-Pupil Exp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyde County Schools | $132,607 | 489 | $31,734 |
| Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools | $110,014 | 11,563 | $17,566 |
| Tyrrell County Schools | $106,165 | 528 | $22,023 |
| Asheville City Schools | $98,709 | 4,218 | $16,748 |
| Cherokee County Schools | $95,600 | 2,944 | $16,832 |
| Graham County Schools | $95,431 | 1,160 | $19,447 |
| Jones County Schools | $95,291 | 1,032 | $20,865 |
| Polk County Schools | $94,594 | 2,129 | $18,211 |
| Durham Public Schools | $94,021 | 31,754 | $17,524 |
| Madison County Schools | $93,117 | 2,137 | $16,807 |
| Northampton County Schools | $92,278 | 1,343 | $21,503 |
| Gates County Schools | $91,912 | 1,475 | $17,711 |
| Whiteville City Schools | $90,799 | 2,103 | $15,004 |
| Pamlico County Schools | $90,497 | 1,207 | $18,273 |
| Scotland County Schools | $89,832 | 5,450 | $15,245 |
| Person County Schools | $89,335 | 4,333 | $14,126 |
| Halifax County Schools | $88,612 | 2,161 | $18,545 |
| Transylvania County Schools | $87,963 | 3,328 | $14,327 |
| Greene County Schools | $87,816 | 2,734 | $16,131 |
| Warren County Schools | $86,921 | 1,783 | $16,702 |
| Orange County Schools | $86,083 | 7,200 | $15,558 |
| Weldon City Schools | $85,769 | 709 | $20,147 |
| Chatham County Schools | $85,589 | 9,009 | $15,369 |
| Martin County Schools | $85,448 | 2,659 | $15,949 |
| Dare County Schools | $85,195 | 5,244 | $14,049 |
| Alleghany County Schools | $85,075 | 1,392 | $17,210 |
| Wake County Schools | $84,532 | 160,099 | $14,074 |
| Buncombe County Schools | $84,096 | 22,079 | $14,785 |
| New Hanover County Schools | $84,051 | 24,933 | $14,481 |
| Caswell County Schools | $83,614 | 2,229 | $18,175 |
| Avery County Schools | $83,332 | 1,885 | $18,561 |
| Clay County Schools | $83,255 | 1,252 | $15,277 |
| McDowell County Schools | $82,741 | 5,881 | $13,553 |
| Yancey County Schools | $82,095 | 1,962 | $14,949 |
| Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools | $81,862 | 52,681 | $14,195 |
| Rutherford County Schools | $81,648 | 7,572 | $16,397 |
| Alamance-Burlington Schools | $81,606 | 22,158 | $15,701 |
| Elkin City Schools | $81,325 | 1,283 | $12,847 |
| Hertford County Schools | $80,989 | 2,482 | $15,253 |
| Carteret County Public Schools | $80,856 | 7,964 | $13,818 |
| Lee County Schools | $80,852 | 9,241 | $12,597 |
| Alexander County Schools | $80,709 | 4,509 | $13,412 |
| Bertie County Schools | $80,371 | 1,832 | $17,473 |
| Haywood County Schools | $79,833 | 6,658 | $13,613 |
| Beaufort County Schools | $79,779 | 5,926 | $15,013 |
| Washington County Schools | $79,702 | 1,091 | $17,911 |
| Watauga County Schools | $79,510 | 4,673 | $13,277 |
| Ashe County Schools | $79,276 | 2,768 | $14,155 |
| Anson County Schools | $79,094 | 2,924 | $14,602 |
| Mitchell County Schools | $78,335 | 1,727 | $15,139 |
| Cumberland County Schools | $78,144 | 48,860 | $12,982 |
| Swain County Schools | $78,119 | 1,919 | $15,228 |
| Macon County Schools | $78,105 | 4,473 | $15,639 |
| Asheboro City Schools | $77,889 | 4,429 | $16,451 |
| Edenton-Chowan Schools | $77,687 | 1,937 | $15,070 |
| Guilford County Schools | $77,659 | 69,173 | $13,788 |
| Montgomery County Schools | $77,329 | 3,587 | $15,400 |
| Lexington City Schools | $77,151 | 3,012 | $14,532 |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools | $76,879 | 143,244 | $15,997 |
| Camden County Schools | $76,644 | 1,880 | $12,684 |
| Columbus County Schools | $76,566 | 5,212 | $13,748 |
| Edgecombe County Public Schools | $76,336 | 5,467 | $13,967 |
| Public Schools of Robeson County | $76,244 | 20,783 | $14,227 |
| Bladen County Schools | $75,950 | 3,981 | $15,523 |
| Kannapolis City Schools | $75,892 | 5,379 | $12,963 |
| Jackson County Public Schools | $75,785 | 3,516 | $14,416 |
| Richmond County Schools | $75,738 | 6,810 | $13,139 |
| Yadkin County Schools | $75,736 | 5,198 | $12,779 |
| Mount Airy City Schools | $75,356 | 1,729 | $13,769 |
| Perquimans County Schools | $74,982 | 1,658 | $14,764 |
| Wayne County Public Schools | $74,808 | 17,602 | $12,270 |
| Thomasville City Schools | $74,671 | 2,232 | $14,366 |
| Wilkes County Schools | $74,434 | 8,643 | $12,482 |
| Caldwell County Schools | $74,431 | 10,906 | $12,314 |
| Surry County Schools | $74,402 | 7,300 | $13,317 |
| Henderson County Schools | $74,309 | 12,768 | $12,094 |
| Cleveland County Schools | $74,296 | 14,324 | $12,545 |
| Catawba County Schools | $73,981 | 15,494 | $12,509 |
| Hickory City Schools | $73,472 | 3,869 | $12,070 |
| Mooresville Graded School District | $73,468 | 5,982 | $16,322 |
| Clinton City Schools | $73,371 | 3,002 | $12,228 |
| Davidson County Schools | $73,262 | 17,894 | $11,522 |
| Davie County Schools | $73,131 | 6,107 | $12,062 |
| Stokes County Schools | $73,114 | 5,519 | $13,565 |
| Newton Conover City Schools | $72,805 | 2,870 | $12,580 |
| Brunswick County Schools | $72,595 | 12,640 | $14,887 |
| Rowan-Salisbury Schools | $72,587 | 18,104 | $12,322 |
| Pitt County Schools | $72,061 | 23,790 | $13,053 |
| Franklin County Schools | $72,060 | 8,021 | $12,921 |
| Sampson County Schools | $72,024 | 7,853 | $13,220 |
| Lenoir County Public Schools | $71,837 | 8,303 | $12,624 |
| Roanoke Rapids City Schools | $71,679 | 2,710 | $13,272 |
| Nash County Public Schools | $71,610 | 14,397 | $12,433 |
| Burke County Schools | $71,538 | 11,632 | $12,502 |
| Randolph County School System | $71,000 | 15,221 | $12,337 |
| Johnston County Public Schools | $70,915 | 37,823 | $11,360 |
| Union County Public Schools | $70,701 | 40,600 | $11,790 |
| Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools | $70,664 | 4,840 | $13,578 |
| Rockingham County Schools | $70,584 | 11,083 | $13,012 |
| Currituck County Schools | $70,310 | 4,414 | $13,201 |
Showing top 100 of 115 enrolling districts. Specialized non-enrolling agencies (career/technical centers, county offices, service co-ops) are excluded from the salary ranking — their enrollment-based estimates are not reliable.
Compare Nearby-Ranked States
Data: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2022. Salary estimates based on instructional expenditure variable Z33 divided by estimated teacher FTE. Not individual salary data. Read our methodology.
Related
| Publisher | PlainTeacher |
| Sources | Public official public datasets |