The newly approved North Carolina budget includes what state officials describe as the largest teacher raises in 15 years. But the impact on teacher pay varies widely depending on years of experience.
The budget provides teachers an average 8% raise, though it’s not distributed evenly. Starting teachers will see the biggest gains, with base pay increasing from $41,000 to $48,000 a yea, a roughly 17% increase. That figure does not include local salary supplements, which state leaders say should ensure that most starting teachers make at least $50,000.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools boasts one of the highest supplements in the state, but the area also has one of the highest costs of living. Last year’s supplement for a first-year teacher at CMS was $7,943, and the 2026-27 Mecklenburg County budget promised supplement increases for this coming school year.
Overall, the raises bring starting pay for North Carolina teachers more in line with national averages. According to the National Education Association, the national average salary for starting teachers in 2025 was $48,112.
More experienced educators will receive smaller raises – about 5% for teachers with 15 to 24 years of experience. But the salary schedule also remains frozen over that period, meaning teachers don’t see any additional pay increases between years 15 and 24 – a longstanding concern among educators.
The North Carolina Association of Educators criticized the state budget earlier this week for giving more money to corporations in the form of corporate tax cuts than to teachers, and specifically called out the budget’s approach to veteran educators.
“After nearly three years without a state budget, educators need more – especially our veteran educators whose steps are frozen from years 15 to 24, and whose raises don’t even keep pace with inflation,” said NCAE President Christina Cole.
Teachers will receive a one-time bonus, with newer teachers receiving $500 and teachers with more seniority getting $1,000. The budget also includes additional performance-based bonus opportunities.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education said in a statement that the budget was “meaningful progress,” but said the board will continue advocating for fair compensation. It also noted that one-time bonuses are not “a substitute for meaningful, long-term compensation.”
“This budget is a positive step,” said CMS Board Chair Stephanie Sneed. “And we look forward to continuing the conversation about strengthening North Carolina's public education workforce through sustained, meaningful investment in the people who make student success possible.”
The budget does not include backpay for the years spent without raises due to the deadlock in Raleigh.
Laura Stewart, a teacher at Shamrock Gardens Elementary with 22 years experience, said she welcomes the raises and believes the passage of a budget is a positive step. She said, however, that there should be changes to how veteran teachers are paid.
She says improving long-term earning potential is key both to rewarding experienced teachers and retaining newer ones.
“You also want these young teachers to be like, ‘Oh yes, this is my long-term career path. This is where someday I will make this amount of money. Someday, if I stick with this, I will become that veteran teacher, you know, making good money,’” Stewart said.
Stewart said many teachers leave the profession because of the pay-scale freeze, which makes it hard for teachers to envision a sustainable career in the profession.
