PlainTeacher

State profile · NCES F-33 FY2023

Teacher Salary in North Carolina

North Carolina's top-to-bottom district pay ratio (1.19x) ranks #47 of 47, lower-third dispersion. According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available for every public school district in North Carolina.

$49,898
Est. state avg salary

Well below benchmark

-29.0%
vs national
#47
National rank
116
Districts

Keep this state in your shortlist

Save it in this browser, then return when PlainTeacher adds a newer public-data release. No account or personal details required.

View saved

$49,898/year (est.)

North Carolina's top-to-bottom district pay ratio (1.19x) ranks #47 of 47, lower-third dispersion. Estimated average teacher salary is $49,898, materially below the national average of $70,245, ranking #47 of 49, across 115 public school districts with reliable data (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Tight district pay band: North Carolina's top-to-bottom district pay ratio (1.19x) ranks #47 of 47, lower-third dispersion.
  • lower third nationally (#47 of 49)
  • North Carolina ranks #47 of 49 on the salary estimate and #8 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • $8,566 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
  • #47 of 47 states for pay dispersion (narrowest decile, 1.19x top/bottom ratio)
  • -29.0% vs the national average
  • +5.8% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (balanced cohort, not the FTE average above)
  • #49 of 49 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 94.4)

The distinguishing axis

How wide is the district pay spread in North Carolina?

Camden County Schools sits at $53,553 and Hoke County Schools at $44,987 among reliable-salary districts. That 1.19x top-to-bottom ratio ranks #47 of 47 comparable states, in the narrowest decile.

This describes the observed F-33 distribution, not why it exists. The comparison excludes service agencies and states with fewer than five reliable district estimates; see the dispersion method.

North Carolina purchasing-power check on lower-third pay

North Carolina's nominal average teacher salary ranks #47 of the 49 states and territories that report teacher salaries. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2023 Regional Price Parity (94.4, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $52,810, ranking #49 of 49 , 2 places lower than the nominal rank once relative price levels are factored in. This purchasing-power view is not published by NEA's teacher-pay rankings or the aggregator sites; it comes from combining our own F-33-derived salary estimate with BEA's public RPP series. See the full 51-state release for methodology and download. BEA Regional Price Parities · NCES CCD F-33

North Carolina in the teacher-salary distribution

FY2023 estimated state averages from the same NCES-derived ranking

$49,898 4th percentile higher than 4% of 49 reporting states and territories

Show national distribution $0–$5,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 2 reporting states and territories (4%). This entry sits in this band. $50,000–$55,000: 6 reporting states and territories (12%). Above this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 9 reporting states and territories (18%). Above this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 7 reporting states and territories (14%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 2 reporting states and territories (4%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 reporting states and territories (8%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. $115,000–$120,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $120,000–$125,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. North Carolina $0 $125,000 reporting state salary estimates, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more reporting states and territories. 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; state estimates derived from reported instructional-salary expenditure and teacher FTE · FY2023

North Carolina's comparable salary trend

Same reporting-district cohort, FY2019-FY2023

FY2023 estimated average
$49,052 5.785139464115771% vs FY2019
116 districts held in the panel
$46,000$47,000$48,000$49,000$50,000 FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023 North Carolina est. avg teacher salary, FY2019: $46,370North Carolina est. avg teacher salary, FY2020: $46,582North Carolina est. avg teacher salary, FY2021: $48,784North Carolina est. avg teacher salary, FY2022: $49,585North Carolina est. avg teacher salary, FY2023: $49,052 $46,370 $49,052 ▲ +5.8%
Read the chart as text
Period North Carolina est. avg teacher salary
FY2019 $46,370
FY2020 $46,582
FY2021 $48,784
FY2022 $49,585
FY2023 $49,052

Highest-paying districts in North Carolina

Estimated average teacher salary, enrolling districts (200+ students)

Est. avg salary

What this shows Camden 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.

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

Top 3 districts

1 $53,553

Camden County Schools

Est. avg teacher salary
2 $53,309

Caswell County Schools

Est. avg teacher salary
3 $52,944

Cherokee County Schools

Est. avg teacher salary

Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment Per-Pupil Exp
Franklin County Schools $48,221 7,897 $13,884
Public Schools of Robeson County $48,122 21,206 $14,134
Lee County Schools $48,030 9,143 $13,950
Duplin County Schools $47,949 9,905 $12,736
Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools $47,876 4,834 $14,597
Hickory City Schools $47,816 3,877 $12,425
Thomasville City Schools $47,473 2,228 $15,048
Lenoir County Public Schools $47,409 8,334 $13,295
Weldon City Schools $47,403 659 $28,868
Lexington City Schools $47,066 2,999 $15,007
Harnett County Schools $46,955 20,050 $12,153
Onslow County Schools $46,776 27,921 $11,885
Edgecombe County Public Schools $46,132 5,419 $15,066
Anson County Schools $46,048 2,964 $16,743
Hoke County Schools $44,987 8,920 $12,522

Showing 101–115 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.

Lowest-Paying Districts in North Carolina

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment
Hoke County Schools $44,987 8,920
Anson County Schools $46,048 2,964
Edgecombe County Public Schools $46,132 5,419
Onslow County Schools $46,776 27,921
Harnett County Schools $46,955 20,050
Lexington City Schools $47,066 2,999
Weldon City Schools $47,403 659
Lenoir County Public Schools $47,409 8,334
Thomasville City Schools $47,473 2,228
Hickory City Schools $47,816 3,877

Among enrolling districts (200+ students) with a reliable estimate; service entities excluded, see methodology.

Nationwide peers near North Carolina's large K-12 scale

Two nationwide peer sets for North Carolina: closest on estimated average teacher salary ($49,898 here) and closest on total student enrollment (1,400,794 here). Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not geographic containment.

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other states by unweighted district-mean teacher pay (F-33 derived, ≥5 districts with reliable estimates).

Similar enrollment

Nearest other states by NCES-reported K-12 enrollment. Salary peers above are excluded.

Compare Nearby-Ranked States

Texas
$51,478
Rank #44
Mississippi
$51,325
Rank #45
South Dakota
$50,422
Rank #46
Oklahoma
$48,569
Rank #48

Data: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey, FY2023. Salary figures divide instructional expenditure (variable Z33) by each district's reported teacher FTE, or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure. Not individual salary data. Read our methodology.

North Carolina teacher salary FAQ

What is the average teacher salary in North Carolina?

Across 115 North Carolina public school districts with reliable data, the average teacher salary is $49,898 (NCES CCD F-33 reported teacher salaries divided by CCD Staff Universe Survey teacher headcounts, FY2023). It is a district-level mean derived from finance filings, so it will not match a contract-salary survey exactly, read it as a relative comparison.

Which North Carolina school district pays teachers the most?

Camden County Schools reports the highest average teacher salary in North Carolina at $53,553, while Hoke County Schools sits at the lower end at $44,987.

How does North Carolina teacher pay compare to the national average?

North Carolina's average of $49,898 is materially below the national average of $70,245 (-29.0%), ranking #47 of the 49 jurisdictions with a reliable district estimate.

How many school districts are in North Carolina?

North Carolina has 116 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 1,400,794 students.

How much do teachers make in North Carolina?

District-average teacher pay in North Carolina sits in a comparatively narrow band, from $44,987 in Hoke County Schools to $53,553 in Camden County Schools. With that little district-to-district spread the statewide figure is a reasonable guide to what most districts pay. These are district-wide averages from NCES CCD F-33 (FY2023), not individual salaries or pay-scale steps.

Can teachers earn $100,000 in North Carolina?

No North Carolina district with reliable data reports an estimated average teacher salary at or above $100,000; the state's highest is Camden County Schools at $53,553. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.

How does North Carolina rank after adjusting for cost of living?

Within the separate enrollment-weighted state comparison, BEA's 2023 Regional Price Parity (94.4, US=100) adjusts North Carolina's nominal estimate of $49,852 from #48 to $52,810 and #49. The headline uses an unweighted district mean, so this does not replace it. Neither measure is take-home pay, taxes, or district/metro cost of living.

Explore North Carolina

Disclaimer & data sources

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