Between $44,800 and $55,100 per year in 2024, depending on the role. These figures represent the annual median wage for North Carolina pre-K–12 teachers. Preschool teachers tend to be at the lower end of the range, while high school teachers tend to be at the higher end, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. The median wage is the midpoint — half of teachers in each role earn more, and half earn less.
For comparison, in North Carolina, the median wage across all occupations was $47,000 in 2024 — about 5% higher than the median preschool teacher wage.
$44.8K
median annual wage for preschool teachers in North Carolina (2024)
$50.3K
median annual wage for middle school teachers in North Carolina (2024)
Among teachers working in elementary, middle, and high schools, annual pay varied by the grade level taught. In North Carolina in 2024, preschool teachers earned the least, earning around $44,800 annually. High school teachers made the most at around $55,100 per year. In other words, high school teachers earned about 23% more than preschool teachers.
High school teachers earn $55,100 annually, more than any other NC teachers
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers, excluding teachers of students with disabilities and technical teachers (NC, 2024)
Teacher salaries vary nationwide. In 2024, North Carolina teachers earned less than the national median for every grade level reported. The largest percentage difference was among elementary school teachers, who earned 21% less than the national median. High school teachers — typically the highest-paid group — earned about 15% less than their counterparts nationwide.
North Carolina teachers earn less than the national average at every level
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers, excluding teachers of students with disabilities and technical teachers (NC, 2024)
Pay also varies by specialization. Teachers of students with disabilities (collected in the data as “special education”), earn about the more than general education teachers at 4 of 5 levels in North Carolina. In 2024, the median wages for teachers of students with disabilities ranged from 6% lower to 21% higher than those of other teachers at the same grade level.
The largest difference for teachers of students with disabilities was at the Preschool level, where they earned $54,400 per year compared to $44,800 for other Preschool teachers, a 21% difference.
Some schools, primarily middle and high schools, also employ technical teachers. These teachers provide vocational and technical training in fields such as automotive repair, culinary arts, cosmetology, and information technology, to help students develop career skills. In North Carolina, their median wages were $49,500 at the middle school level and $57,400 at the high school level in 2024, 2% lower and 4% higher, respectively, than those of general education teachers at the same levels.
In North Carolina, teachers of students with disabilities earned more than other teachers at several grade levels.
Median annual salary of elementary and secondary school teachers (NC, 2024)
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
