Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Salary in North Carolina
In North Carolina, secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education earn a median $57,650 a year, well below the national median of $72,040 (−20%); the state ranks 47th of 51 states by median. Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education earn 20% 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 $61,860 in Tennessee to $75,480 in Georgia. North Carolina employs 28,620 secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, 5.79 per 1,000 jobs, the 10th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.85 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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 28,620 | 5.79 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $45,430 | $47,760 | $57,650 | $60,740 | $64,460 | $55,760 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,065,210 | – | – |
| Annual | $48,780 | $59,980 | $72,040 | $92,570 | $107,600 | $76,320 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 47th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 10th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.85
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.79
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
15 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching North Carolina publish a row for secondary 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 | * | $76,790 | $52,700 | $101,470 | 5,520 | 7.24 | 1.06 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | * | $60,380 | $47,330 | $75,190 | 4,210 | 5.66 | 0.83 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | * | $60,300 | $47,270 | $75,520 | 8,500 | 6.26 | 0.91 |
| Asheville, NC | * | $59,320 | $46,640 | $63,920 | 1,080 | 5.96 | 0.87 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | * | $58,990 | $44,760 | $63,340 | 2,300 | 6.30 | 0.92 |
| Wilmington, NC | * | $57,980 | $44,790 | $66,500 | 730 | 3.79 | 0.55 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | * | $57,930 | $45,410 | $63,600 | 1,330 | 4.89 | 0.71 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | * | $57,870 | $40,480 | $63,790 | 1,620 | 4.70 | 0.69 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | * | $57,790 | $44,400 | $59,830 | 630 | 4.11 | 0.60 |
| Greenville, NC | * | $57,230 | $44,670 | $62,180 | 360 | 4.52 | 0.66 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | * | $56,280 | $43,360 | $68,920 | 240 | 5.66 | 0.83 |
| Goldsboro, NC | * | $52,180 | $42,880 | $61,720 | 360 | 8.97 | 1.31 |
| Burlington, NC | * | $49,680 | $39,820 | $61,290 | 350 | 5.20 | 0.76 |
| Fayetteville, NC | * | $49,580 | $37,870 | $58,880 | 1,030 | 7.85 | 1.15 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | * | $47,770 | $40,990 | $56,250 | 320 | 5.88 | 0.86 |
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | * | $57,240 | $44,330 | $60,490 | 1,760 | 6.95 | 1.01 |
| Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | * | $53,490 | $40,990 | $60,750 | 2,080 | 8.73 | 1.27 |
| Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | * | $49,390 | $46,500 | $59,780 | 2,230 | 8.43 | 1.23 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | * | $57,650 | 28,620 | 0.85 |
| Georgia | * | $75,480 | 25,730 | 0.77 |
| South Carolina | * | $62,580 | 16,080 | 1.02 |
| Tennessee | * | $61,860 | 21,230 | 0.95 |
| Virginia | * | $72,170 | 31,100 | 1.10 |
See the national page for Secondary 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.
- 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.