North Carolina Drops Two Spots in Annual Teacher Salary Rankings

RALEIGH – The National Education Association (NEA) yesterday released its annual report of state educator pay and public education spending. North Carolina fell two spots in the teacher pay rankings, dropping to 38th in the nation. Even more troubling for teacher retention, North Carolina’s average teacher salary ($56,559) comes in at almost $13,000 below the national average.

While teacher salaries nationwide rose an average of 4.1% over the year, North Carolina’s average increased only 3.1% despite revenue surpluses. With a growing teacher shortage and falling enrollment in education prep courses, it is even more alarming that North Carolina’s starting teacher salaries ($40,136) rank 42nd in the nation and almost $15,000 below the minimum living wage.

The yearly rankings serve as a key barometer for education policymakers and a measuring stick to compare states. North Carolina rose one spot to 38th in the ranking of per student spending at $13,173 per student.

“North Carolinians believe that our students should have the opportunity to learn, to grow and to thrive. Our public schools give the vast majority of those students that opportunity, but we could be doing so much more,” said Tamika Walker Kelly, President of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE). “The latest data shows North Carolina again trailing our neighboring states like Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia on critical measures like per student spending and average teacher pay. North Carolina even fell two spots in the teacher pay rankings to 38th. Until we raise teacher pay to at least the national average and fully-fund our public schools, North Carolina is giving our youngest generation less than they deserve.”

The NEA data released yesterday can be found at www.nea.org/educatorpay. NEA has produced its highly respected “Rankings and Estimates” report since the 1960s and is widely cited as an authoritative source of comparative state education data.

NCAE is North Carolina’s leading voice for educational excellence, for children and their families, and for the public schools they count on. As the largest association of professional educators in North Carolina, our membership extends to all 100 counties and includes teachers, non-classified school staff, administrators, students, retirees, and community allies. NCAE believes that every child has a right to a high-quality education, an excellent teacher, and a well-funded school.