Compare · Florida vs North Carolina
Hillsborough County Public Schools vs Wake County Public School System
Side by side from the two published grids: Instructional salary schedule A (SCHDA), employees hired before July 1, 2013, 2025-26 and 2026-2027 Classroom Teacher Salary Schedules. Green marks the higher figure (fewer steps to the top counts as higher).
- Hillsborough County Public Schools starts at $47,500.04 and tops out at $71,045.73 (2025-26); Wake County Public School System starts at $55,339.90 and tops out at $89,917.60 (2026-27).
- Difference at the lowest cell: $7,839.86 in favor of Wake County Public School System; at the highest cell: $18,871.87 in favor of Wake County Public School System.
- The two schedules are for different school years, so part of any gap is timing; each page shows its own effective date.
Hillsborough County Public Schools
Wake County Public School System
| Measure | Hillsborough County Public Schools | Wake County Public School System |
|---|---|---|
| School year | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
| Effective date | July 1, 2025 | July 1, 2026 |
| Lowest cell (starting salary) | $47,500.04 | $55,339.90 |
| Bachelor's column start | $47,500.04 | $55,339.90 |
| Bachelor's column top | $65,248.29 | $73,399.20 |
| Master's column start | $50,398.76 | $61,101.50 |
| Master's column top | $68,147.01 | $81,072.30 |
| Highest cell | $71,045.73 | $89,917.60 |
| Steps to the highest cell | 28 | 32 |
| Columns x steps | 4 x 28 | 4 x 32 |
| Work days | 198 | – |
| Starting cell per work day | $239.90 | – |
| NCES enrollment 2023-24 | 224,152 | 161,481 |
Step ladder on the bachelor's (or lowest) column
Hillsborough County Public Schools: Bachelor's degree. Wake County Public School System: Bachelor's Degree ("A" License), Not National Board Certified. Rows are the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th step rows of each grid and its last row; steps are labeled as each district labels them.
| Row | Hillsborough County Public Schools | Wake County Public School System |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1: $47,500.04 | 0: $55,339.90 |
| 2 | 5: $47,500.04 | 4: $56,942.50 |
| 3 | 10: $47,500.04 | 9: $60,001.80 |
| 4 | 15: $50,474.32 | 14: $65,379.70 |
| 5 | 20: $55,698.98 | 19: $67,593.80 |
| top row | 28: $65,248.29 | 31+: $73,399.20 |
Schedules differ in what they include (some districts fold supplements or pension pickups into the grid, some do not) and in the length of the work year, so a cell-to-cell comparison is a starting point, not a ranking of total pay. More: all comparisons, rankings.