Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Salary in North Carolina
In North Carolina, middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education earn a median $52,010 a year, well below the national median of $64,370 (−19%); the state ranks 48th of 51 states by median. Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education earn 8% 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 $60,690 in Tennessee to $64,780 in Georgia. North Carolina employs 20,650 middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education, 4.18 per 1,000 jobs, the 10th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.05 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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 20,650 | 4.18 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $44,660 | $47,050 | $52,010 | $59,110 | $61,770 | $53,350 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 620,090 | – | – |
| Annual | $48,080 | $58,530 | $64,370 | $80,490 | $102,540 | $72,030 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 48th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 10th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.05
- Jobs per 1,000
- 4.18
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
13 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching North Carolina publish a row for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical 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 | * | $65,300 | $50,870 | $102,610 | 3,790 | 4.97 | 1.25 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | * | $59,110 | $46,820 | $75,400 | 6,270 | 4.62 | 1.16 |
| Asheville, NC | * | $57,510 | $46,090 | $58,560 | 1,020 | 5.64 | 1.42 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | * | $57,330 | $40,440 | $74,770 | 1,230 | 1.65 | 0.41 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | * | $56,800 | $46,280 | $61,740 | 2,380 | 6.50 | 1.63 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | * | $54,720 | $45,100 | $59,090 | ** | ** | ** |
| Greenville, NC | * | $54,590 | $44,660 | $56,280 | 320 | 3.92 | 0.98 |
| Wilmington, NC | * | $52,310 | $43,780 | $63,140 | 680 | 3.54 | 0.89 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | * | $51,970 | $43,050 | $60,570 | 850 | 5.49 | 1.38 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | * | $51,340 | $46,150 | $63,830 | 1,210 | 3.51 | 0.88 |
| Fayetteville, NC | * | $49,080 | $39,880 | $57,620 | 560 | 4.22 | 1.06 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | * | $47,830 | $37,340 | $58,460 | 360 | 6.58 | 1.65 |
| Goldsboro, NC | * | $47,560 | $39,570 | $56,370 | 300 | 7.39 | 1.85 |
| Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | * | $56,660 | $45,180 | $58,810 | 1,260 | 4.75 | 1.19 |
| Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | * | $48,200 | $38,960 | $59,560 | 810 | 3.40 | 0.85 |
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | * | $47,370 | $44,010 | $59,420 | 1,590 | 6.27 | 1.57 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | * | $52,010 | 20,650 | 1.05 |
| Georgia | * | $64,780 | 23,610 | 1.21 |
| South Carolina | * | $60,810 | 9,750 | 1.06 |
| Tennessee | * | $60,690 | 13,060 | 1.00 |
| Virginia | * | $63,520 | 18,290 | 1.12 |
See the national page for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical 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.
**- Employment 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.