7 ms·

NC teacher salaries are terrible on their own but they are also outpaced by inflation. The new budget just got approved. Last year a teacher with 15 years of e

NC teacher salaries are terrible on their own but they are also outpaced by inflation. The new budget just got approved. Last year a teacher with 15 years of experience made $58,270 and this year they will make $62,500 so right around an 8% bump but the prior two years was only a ~$1000 bump each. So 2023 -> 2026 $56,250 -> $62,500 was roughly 12% increase in pay but adjusted for inflation $62500 in 2026 is ~$57,220 in 2023 so not even an actual raise of $1000 in buying power.

Avicebron 29d ago
That's close to what local IT makes in my state.
- TylerE 29d ago
  Local IT with 15 years of experience and a masters degree?
  - deleted 29d ago
    [deleted]
xnx 29d ago
Have to adjust for days worked for teachers.
- leetrout 29d ago
  Sure, $62.5k for a 10 month contract is $75k over 12 (62.5/10 == 75/12) but my point about purchasing power remains. As the other commenter called out it's low considering to get to this salary at 15 years of experience you also have to have a master's degree. Master degree holders have a median salary $95k in the US so this is off the mark by a considerable amount.
  - 9x39 28d ago
    Education degrees are broadly considered some of the easiest degrees and have large numbers of them matriculating: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/ctb/graduate-degree-fields https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/ctb/graduate-degr... They're signals with low leverage since everyone has to have them in their field, so you end up with lower nominal pay from the institutions that buy most of that labor. Consider acceptance rate as a metric - education has one of the highest by this report, up there with public service: https://cgsnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CGS_GED-2025_Report_Final.pdf https://cgsnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CGS_GED-2025_R...
    - leetrout 28d ago
      maybe they are easy but "everyone has to have them" doesn't change the amount of time and money invested in getting them. The real compensation under that is stagnating with inflation. NC is particularly bad because state law forbids collective bargaining and they are at the whim of the legislature (which stalled a budget for 1000 days). The signal of supply and demand the cost (and debt) of an advanced degree is not reflected in the marginal salary bump over bachelors degree given the rising costs of tuition. From same site you used 46.7% of public university masters degree completions used debt so basically half. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_332.45.asp https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_332.45.a...

Avicebron 29d ago

That's close to what local IT makes in my state.

TylerE 29d ago
Local IT with 15 years of experience and a masters degree?
- deleted 29d ago
  [deleted]

xnx 29d ago

Have to adjust for days worked for teachers.

leetrout 29d ago
Sure, $62.5k for a 10 month contract is $75k over 12 (62.5/10 == 75/12) but my point about purchasing power remains. As the other commenter called out it's low considering to get to this salary at 15 years of experience you also have to have a master's degree. Master degree holders have a median salary $95k in the US so this is off the mark by a considerable amount.
- 9x39 28d ago
  Education degrees are broadly considered some of the easiest degrees and have large numbers of them matriculating: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/ctb/graduate-degree-fields https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/ctb/graduate-degr... They're signals with low leverage since everyone has to have them in their field, so you end up with lower nominal pay from the institutions that buy most of that labor. Consider acceptance rate as a metric - education has one of the highest by this report, up there with public service: https://cgsnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CGS_GED-2025_Report_Final.pdf https://cgsnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CGS_GED-2025_R...
  - leetrout 28d ago
    maybe they are easy but "everyone has to have them" doesn't change the amount of time and money invested in getting them. The real compensation under that is stagnating with inflation. NC is particularly bad because state law forbids collective bargaining and they are at the whim of the legislature (which stalled a budget for 1000 days). The signal of supply and demand the cost (and debt) of an advanced degree is not reflected in the marginal salary bump over bachelors degree given the rising costs of tuition. From same site you used 46.7% of public university masters degree completions used debt so basically half. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_332.45.asp https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_332.45.a...