North Carolina’s average teacher pay in 2024-25 ranked 43rd in the nation for the second year in a row, according to new data from the National Education Association (NEA). That ranking is projected to drop to 46th for the 2025-26 school year, and North Carolina is estimated to be the only state in the nation where teacher salaries dropped this school year.
The 2026 Educator Pay in America report, produced by the nation’s largest teachers union, examines teacher pay and per-student funding nationwide, including all 50 states and the District of Columbia. North Carolina’s average teacher salary in 2024-25 was $60,323 — which includes base salary and local supplemental pay — up nearly 3.5% from the previous year’s $58,292. Despite the increase, the state’s ranking remained the same.
The report also reveals that North Carolina teachers earned around $14,000 below the national average in 2024-25. The average teacher salary nationwide was $74,495 in 2024-25, a 3.5% increase from the prior year’s $71,985.
But after adjusting for inflation, the report said, teachers nationwide earned 5% less than they did 10 years ago. For beginning teachers, despite a 3.4% increase from last year, the real gain was less than 1% after adjusting for inflation.
“Dedicated educators show up every day in classrooms across this country to inspire, support, and lift up their students, but too many are struggling to stay in the profession they love,” said NEA President Becky Pringle in a press release. “They deserve pay that reflects their expertise, the strong support they need to succeed, and the respect that honors the essential role they play in shaping the future of this nation.”
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The state also ranked 38th in the nation for beginning teachers’ average salary last school year, up from 39th the year prior. In dollars, that average increased from $42,542 in 2023-24 to $44,952 in 2024-25. But that amount is still more than $3,000 below the national average.
Across the Southeast, North Carolina ranked higher in 2024-25 than West Virginia, Louisiana, Florida, Arkansas, and Mississippi in average teacher pay. But the state’s four neighboring states — Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina — ranked higher in average and beginning teacher pay. Recently, state leaders have raised concerns about the number of teachers traveling to these neighboring states to pursue higher pay.
In a speech at the Blue Ribbon Commission for Public Education’s inaugural meeting on Monday, Gov. Josh Stein repeated his calls on the General Assembly to increase its investment in public education and raise teacher salaries.
“Those of us who grew up here in North Carolina, to be in a position where we are looking up at South Carolina, we’re looking up at Georgia, at Tennessee, we’re looking up at Virginia — is a shocking place to be, and frankly, unacceptable,” Stein said. “There’s just no reason with all that we have going for us, that we are so undervaluing our kids’ education.”
Stein released his budget proposal last week, which included an average 11% pay raise for teachers and would bring starting teacher pay to the highest in the Southeast.
“North Carolina’s placement in these rankings is an embarrassment — and it is the entirely predictable result of a legislature that has been captured by corporations and wealthy donors,” said North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) President Tamika Walker Kelly in a press release.
2025-26 projections
The NEA also released projections for teacher salaries during the 2025-26 school year. Under these estimates, North Carolina would rank 46th in the nation for teacher pay and would be the only state where teacher salaries drop.
The report estimates that North Carolina’s average teacher salary for this school year is $59,971, a projected drop of .58% — or around $350.
The Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) latest “Highlights of the North Carolina Public School Budget” report, found a similar trend. The report concluded that the estimated average compensation for teachers in 2025-26 was 1% lower than in 2024-25 after including bonuses and local supplements.
On average, the NEA projections show North Carolina teachers are earning around $16,500 less than the projected national average of $76,552 this school year. Projected pay increased by 2.76% percent nationwide, and North Carolina would be the only state where salaries dropped under these projections. The NCAE attributed this to the “General Assembly’s failure to pass a state budget” in its press release.
The only states with lower salary projections for 2025-26 are Missouri, West Virginia, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Neighboring the state, Virginia currently ranks 23rd in the nation, Tennessee ranks 39th, South Carolina ranks 31st, and Georgia ranks 22nd.
According to the NCAE, North Carolina teachers would need a raise of more than 21% to match Georgia’s average salary, the highest in the Southeast.
Per-student funding
The report also covers states’ expenditures per student. North Carolina’s $13,640 in spending per student based on fall enrollment levels in 2024-25 ranked 39th in the nation. Using average daily attendance data, that amount increases to $14,824, at 41st.
Nationwide, the average expenditure for 2024-25 using fall enrollment data was $17,840, or $4,200 above North Carolina’s spending. Using daily attendance data, that gap widens to $4,500.
Projections for this school year show worsening trends.
North Carolina is estimated to have dropped to 46th in the nation for per-student funding based on fall enrollment. This school year, the state increased its per-student funding by $40 from the year before — the smallest increase in the nation — to $13,680. That amount is nearly $5,200 less than the national average and lower than in Virginia, Georgia, and South Carolina.
You can find the full reports on NEA’s website.
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