Teacher Salary in North Carolina
What teachers earn across North Carolina, and what they keep after tax, rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $55,121
- Median hourly wage
- Not published
- Top 10% earn
- $62,989
- Kept after costs
- $12,229
Pay range
Half of North Carolina's 91,680 teachers earn more than $55,121 a year, and half earn less. The US median for the same job is $66,847.
- BLS publishes an annual salary only for this job; school staff are paid for the school year.
Pay over time
In North Carolina, teacher pay rose 30% from 2015 to 2025, but fell 4% after inflation.
Yearly figures, 2015 to 2025
| May | Median pay | In 2025 dollars | US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $42,267 | $57,412 | $55,843 |
| 2016 | $43,347 | $58,145 | $56,731 |
| 2017 | $45,195 | $59,360 | $57,949 |
| 2018 | $46,223 | $59,262 | $59,019 |
| 2019 | $48,469 | $61,036 | $60,335 |
| 2020 | $49,834 | $61,990 | $61,561 |
| 2021 | $48,314 | $57,402 | $61,530 |
| 2022 | $48,615 | $53,480 | $61,943 |
| 2023 | $50,609 | $53,473 | $64,326 |
| 2024 | $51,489 | $52,844 | $63,245 |
| 2025 | $55,121 | $55,121 | $66,847 |
BLS designs these estimates as yearly snapshots and cautions against reading small year-to-year changes as trends. 2025 dollars use the CPI-U annual average.
What a teacher keeps in North Carolina
The median salary, after federal, payroll and state taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $55,121
- Federal income tax
- −$4,435
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,217
- State income tax
- −$1,691
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$15,384
- Everyday costs
- −$17,165
a year, or $1,019 a month
Wages: BLS OEWS. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, statewide. Taxes: 2026 federal and state schedules, single filer.
At three pay levels
Half of teachers in North Carolina earn between the lower and higher pay shown here. Same statewide rent, everyday costs and taxes.
| Pay level | Salary | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-paid (25th percentile) | $47,466 | $6,385 |
| Typical (median) | $55,121 | $12,229 |
| Higher-paid (75th percentile) | $59,906 | $15,883 |
Compare cities in North Carolina
Pay and rent change from city to city. Here is what a teacher keeps in each North Carolina city we cover, using local pay and rent.
| City | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Greensboro | $58,537 | $15,149 |
| Winston-Salem† | $57,042 | $13,403 |
| Raleigh | $59,938 | $12,201 |
| Charlotte | $59,325 | $9,020 |
| Durham | $53,379 | $7,231 |
Workers and pay are BLS metro-area estimates; the middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile. † BLS publishes only some types of teacher for this metro, so the figure covers those types.
Try a city with your own salary
- Median salary
- $58,537
- Federal income tax
- −$4,844
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,478
- State income tax
- −$1,827
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$15,060
- Everyday costs
- −$17,179
a year, or $1,262 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS metro estimates. Rent: HUD FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 schedules, single filer.
Teacher pay in other states
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, North Carolina comes 49 of 51. The ten states where a teacher keeps the most:
- Washington$40,675
- Ohio$32,802
- Rhode Island$32,178
- Alaska$31,099
- New Mexico$30,023
- Pennsylvania$28,026
- Utah$27,549
- California$26,532
- Massachusetts$25,082
- Wyoming$24,738
- North Carolina$12,229
Compare this job in two places: any two cities or states, at three pay levels.
Teacher salary by state
Pay and what's kept for teachers in every other state we cover, A–Z.
Other jobs in North Carolina
The 10 jobs closest to a teacher in what they keep: median pay and what's left after the same costs.
| Job | You keep |
|---|---|
| Diesel mechanic$1,810 more | $14,039 |
| Paramedic$1,681 more | $13,910 |
| HVAC technician$1,635 more | $13,864 |
| Plumber$1,496 more | $13,725 |
| Electrician$1,283 more | $13,512 |
| Truck driver$2,741 less | $9,488 |
| Welder$3,459 less | $8,770 |
| Dental assistant$3,619 less | $8,610 |
| Carpenter$4,596 less | $7,633 |
| Auto mechanic$5,283 less | $6,946 |
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Questions people ask
How much does a teacher make in North Carolina?
The median teacher salary in North Carolina is $55,121 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $45,321 and the top 10% earn over $62,989 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What does a teacher take home in North Carolina?
On the median salary, a teacher in North Carolina pays about $10,343 in federal, payroll and state taxes. After a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, they keeps $12,229 a year.
Where in North Carolina do teachers keep the most?
Of the North Carolina cities we cover, teachers keep the most in Greensboro: a median salary of $58,537 and a $1,255 1-bedroom leave $15,149 a year after taxes and everyday costs.
Which states are best for teachers after costs?
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, North Carolina comes 49 of 51. The top states are Washington ($40,675), Ohio ($32,802), Rhode Island ($32,178).
Do teachers in North Carolina earn more than the US average?
No. The North Carolina median of $55,121 is $11,726 below the US median of $66,847.
Sources and method
Occupation codes (SOC): 25-2021, 25-2022, 25-2031. Statewide figures use the state median wage, a population-weighted statewide rent and state price levels; city figures use metro wages and city rents.
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate