Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education Salary in North Carolina
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education in North Carolina have a median of $54,930 a year, below the national $63,970 (−14%); the state ranks 46th of 51 states by median. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education earn 15% more than the median across all occupations in North Carolina ($47,970). Every neighbouring state pays more: Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina and Tennessee range from $59,980 in Tennessee to $72,290 in Georgia. North Carolina employs 42,410 elementary school teachers, except special education, 8.58 per 1,000 jobs, the 9th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.96 is close to the national share.
North Carolina vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 42,410 | 8.58 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $45,570 | $47,470 | $54,930 | $59,730 | $62,590 | $54,070 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,388,390 | – | – |
| Annual | $47,960 | $57,710 | $63,970 | $81,450 | $104,340 | $72,650 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 46th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 9th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.96
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.58
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of North Carolina's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in North Carolina
16 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching North Carolina publish a row for elementary school teachers, except special education, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | * | $63,380 | $48,910 | $100,290 | 7,130 | 9.35 | 1.05 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | * | $60,170 | $47,500 | $75,710 | 5,830 | 7.85 | 0.88 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | * | $59,730 | $46,640 | $63,250 | 2,590 | 7.10 | 0.79 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | * | $58,680 | $47,280 | $75,510 | 10,770 | 7.93 | 0.89 |
| Burlington, NC | * | $56,740 | $46,490 | $61,630 | 670 | 9.84 | 1.10 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | * | $56,510 | $46,720 | $60,880 | 2,220 | 8.16 | 0.91 |
| Greenville, NC | * | $55,490 | $43,320 | $69,660 | 740 | 9.19 | 1.03 |
| Fayetteville, NC | * | $54,350 | $44,950 | $58,940 | 1,490 | 11.33 | 1.27 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | * | $51,400 | $46,580 | $62,440 | 2,430 | 7.06 | 0.79 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | * | $50,540 | $45,330 | $58,450 | 530 | 12.29 | 1.38 |
| Asheville, NC | * | $50,080 | $40,690 | $59,660 | 1,450 | 8.01 | 0.90 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | * | $49,540 | $44,600 | $58,710 | 1,560 | 10.14 | 1.14 |
| Goldsboro, NC | * | $49,240 | $44,690 | $59,600 | 640 | 15.92 | 1.78 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | * | $48,670 | $40,240 | $59,190 | 550 | 10.05 | 1.13 |
| Jacksonville, NC | * | $48,370 | $43,830 | $57,770 | 1,000 | 19.01 | 2.13 |
| Wilmington, NC | * | $48,240 | $39,980 | $60,770 | 1,920 | 10.03 | 1.12 |
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | * | $50,280 | $41,040 | $61,090 | 3,210 | 12.66 | 1.42 |
| Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | * | $49,570 | $40,110 | $60,450 | 2,410 | 9.10 | 1.02 |
| Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | * | $47,360 | $41,130 | $59,430 | 4,280 | 18.00 | 2.02 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | * | $54,930 | 42,410 | 0.96 |
| Georgia | * | $72,290 | 43,820 | 1.00 |
| South Carolina | * | $60,820 | 25,030 | 1.22 |
| Tennessee | * | $59,980 | 28,240 | 0.96 |
| Virginia | * | $65,550 | 37,880 | 1.03 |
See the national page for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (every state ranked) and the North Carolina wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS North Carolina estimates.
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.