Rankings · North Carolina
Highest paying school districts in North Carolina
Ranked from the districts' own published salary schedules, not from survey averages or self-reported figures. Every row links to that district's full step-and-lane grid and the document it was read from.
- The highest starting bachelor's salary among the 20 indexed North Carolina district schedules is Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools at $56,640.00 (2026-27).
- The highest single cell on any indexed North Carolina grid is Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools at $94,490.
- This ranks the 20 North Carolina districts whose published schedule is indexed here, out of 123 districts in the state. A district that is not indexed is not ranked.
Highest starting salary on the bachelor's column
| District | Year | Starting | Column | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools | 2026-27 | $56,640.00 | Bachelor's Degree Only | 11,386 |
| 2. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools | 2026-27 | $56,341 | Bachelor "A" | 144,116 |
| 3. Clinton City Schools | 2026-27 | $55,536 | BS Degree | 3,005 |
| 4. Wake County Public School System | 2026-27 | $55,339.90 | Bachelor's Degree ("A" License), Not National Board Certified | 161,481 |
| 5. Guilford County Schools | 2026-27 | $55,250 | Bachelor's Degree Licensed Teacher (A) | 67,832 |
| 6. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools | 2026-27 | $54,400 | Basic Bachelor’s "A" | 52,157 |
| 7. Asheville City Schools | 2026-27 | $53,060 | Bachelor's Teacher | 3,977 |
| 8. Johnston County Public Schools | 2024-25 | $48,815 | Bachelor's Degree Certified | 37,289 |
| 9. Durham Public Schools | 2025-26 | $48,750 | Bachelor's Teacher & Instructional Support Staff | 31,339 |
| 10. Mooresville Graded School District | 2026-27 | $48,000 | Bachelor's Teacher | 5,845 |
| 11. Currituck County Schools | 2025-26 | $3,858 | Bachelor's Degree | 4,554 |
| 12. Gaston County Schools | 2025-26 | $3,562.30 | Bachelor's | 30,253 |
| 13. Lexington City Schools | 2023-24 | $3,250 | Bachelors Degree | 2,941 |
| 14. Richmond County Schools | 2026-27 | $1,927 | Bachelor's | 6,639 |
Highest cell anywhere on the schedule
The top of a schedule is normally the most senior step of the highest education column, so this is what a long-serving teacher with the most credits can reach, not a typical salary.
| District | Year | Top cell | Column | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools | 2026-27 | $94,490 | National Board "D" | 144,116 |
| 2. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools | 2026-27 | $91,414.60 | Master's Degree + National Board Certification | 11,386 |
| 3. Wake County Public School System | 2026-27 | $89,917.60 | Master's Degree ("M" License), AND National Board Certified | 161,481 |
| 4. Asheville City Schools | 2026-27 | $88,290 | PhD with NBPTS Certification | 3,977 |
| 5. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools | 2026-27 | $87,030 | NBPTS Doctorate "D" | 52,157 |
| 6. Durham Public Schools | 2025-26 | $85,705 | Doctorate Degree Teachers & Instructional Support Staff w/NBPTS Cert. | 31,339 |
| 7. Guilford County Schools | 2026-27 | $81,760 | Doctoral Degree + National Board Licensed Exceptional Children Teacher (NDE) | 67,832 |
| 8. Johnston County Public Schools | 2024-25 | $81,258 | Masters Degree National Board Certified | 37,289 |
| 9. Clinton City Schools | 2026-27 | $75,754 | EDS, EdD & PhD Degree | 3,005 |
| 10. Mooresville Graded School District | 2026-27 | $74,510 | PhD with NBPTS Certification | 5,845 |
| 11. New Hanover County Schools | 2026-27 | $12,000 | Hard to Fill Annual Amount | 25,028 |
| 12. Chatham County Schools | 2025-26 | $11,000 | M | 9,023 |
| 13. Union County Public Schools | 2026-27 | $10,410 | Master's or National Board Certification | 41,687 |
| 14. Dare County Schools | 2024-25 | $8,250 | Supplement | 5,102 |
| 15. Brunswick County Schools | 2025-26 | $7,600 | G License | 13,262 |
| 16. Currituck County Schools | 2025-26 | $6,191 | National Board-Doctorate | 4,554 |
| 17. Lexington City Schools | 2023-24 | $5,665 | Masters Degree or higher | 2,941 |
| 18. Gaston County Schools | 2025-26 | $5,451.90 | Master's | 30,253 |
| 19. Polk County Schools | 2025-26 | $3,450 | Fall | 2,156 |
| 20. Richmond County Schools | 2026-27 | $2,842 | Master's | 6,639 |
Coverage grows as more North Carolina schedules are parsed. See all 123 North Carolina districts, or the national rankings.