NC average teacher salary at 43rd, near bottom nationwide, in new report

WRAL Daily Download

NC average teacher salary at 43rd, near bottom nationwide, in new report

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Published on May 1, 2026, 3:59:59 AM
Total time: 00:09:57

Episode Description

A new report from the National Education Association ranks the state 43rd in average teacher pay and 38th in starting teacher pay. These rankings are about the same as last year.

This is all based on data from the 2024-25 school year. Teachers haven't received raises for the current school year, because the North Carolina legislature has yet to pass a new budget.

Without a raise, North Carolina teacher pay is projected to fall to 46th this year, based on estimates.

WRAL education reporter Emily Walkenhorst talks through the state of teacher pay in North Carolina.

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The WRAL Daily Download is an in-depth conversation about a single news story. WRAL covers news across North Carolina every day, but this podcast focuses on one story at a time, bringing context to each conversation. The in-depth, localized podcast takes you into the latest stories from Raleigh, Durham, and the entire Triangle region on North Carolina. This is community news aimed at keeping you informed about the more subtle stories that are happening around you. Hosted by WRAL News journalists, episodes post weekdays by 4:30am.