North Carolina - A new report from the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank, is highlighting how teacher salaries have been suppressed over the last 20 years, contributing to North Carolina’s ongoing recruitment and retention crisis.
The Reason Foundation ranks North Carolina 48th in average teacher pay, placing the state behind all of its neighboring states and every other state in the South. From 2020 to 2022, average teacher salaries declined by 5 percent in 38 states. In North Carolina, however, average pay fell by 9.6 percent—dropping from just over $63,000 to just under $57,000 when adjusted for inflation.
This decline continues a troubling long-term trend. North Carolina is one of only three states where average teacher salaries have fallen by more than 20 percent since 2002. Adjusted for current inflation, the average salary would be approximately $72,000 today.
The report attributes the overall decline in teacher pay to high turnover and historic inflation. In North Carolina, additional factors include the General Assembly’s failure to prioritize public-school funding, and the Supreme Court’s continued inaction in the Leandro case — all of which have contributed to the suppression of educator pay.
“This report is yet another reminder of how the state has failed and neglected to invest in our educators and in-turn our public schools," said Tamika Walker Kelly, NCAE President. "We are bleeding educators to our neighboring states who are willing to pay them what they are worth. How can we expect to recruit and retain quality educators if we’re not showing them they are valued for the exceptional work they do in our public-schools?”
