Earlier today, the National Education Association (NEA) released their annual Rankings and Estimates report. According to the report, North Carolina’s average teacher salary for 2018 ranked 39th out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C.
But the NEA ranking does not adjust for cost of living. When C2ER cost-of-living indices for 2017 are applied, North Carolina’s rank jumps to 29th in the nation. Last year, North Carolina’s cost-of-living adjusted average salary was 33rd in the nation.
Unadjusted Rank | Jurisdiction | Estimated Average Salary (2017-18) | COL Index (2017) |
COL-Adjusted Average Salary | Revised Rank |
13 | Michigan | $62,702 | 89.7 | $69,902 | 1 |
11 | Illinois | $65,776 | 97.2 | $67,671 | 2 |
9 | Pennsylvania | $67,398 | 102.0 | $66,076 | 3 |
1 | New York | $83,585 | 132.5 | $63,083 | 4 |
17 | Ohio | $58,000 | 92.3 | $62,839 | 5 |
22 | Iowa | $56,790 | 91.3 | $62,202 | 6 |
23 | Georgia | $56,329 | 90.8 | $62,036 | 7 |
15 | Wyoming | $58,578 | 95.6 | $61,274 | 8 |
26 | Indiana | $54,846 | 91.1 | $60,204 | 9 |
3 | Massachusetts | $79,710 | 132.9 | $59,977 | 10 |
14 | Delaware | $60,484 | 102.9 | $58,779 | 11 |
29 | Texas | $53,167 | 91.2 | $58,297 | 12 |
5 | Connecticut | $73,113 | 125.7 | $58,165 | 13 |
24 | Wisconsin | $55,895 | 96.2 | $58,103 | 14 |
21 | Minnesota | $57,782 | 99.7 | $57,956 | 15 |
28 | Nebraska | $53,473 | 92.9 | $57,560 | 16 |
2 | California | $81,126 | 141.0 | $57,536 | 17 |
6 | New Jersey | $69,917 | 121.9 | $57,356 | 18 |
36 | Tennessee | $50,900 | 89.8 | $56,682 | 19 |
30 | Kentucky | $52,952 | 93.7 | $56,512 | 20 |
38 | Kansas | $50,403 | 90.2 | $55,879 | 21 |
43 | Arkansas | $49,017 | 87.8 | $55,828 | 22 |
40 | Alabama | $50,239 | 90.3 | $55,636 | 23 |
20 | Nevada | $57,812 | 104.7 | $55,217 | 24 |
42 | Missouri | $49,208 | 89.9 | $54,736 | 25 |
27 | North Dakota | $54,421 | 99.7 | $54,585 | 26 |
7 | Maryland | $69,761 | 128.7 | $54,204 | 27 |
10 | Rhode Island | $66,758 | 123.6 | $54,011 | 28 |
37 | North Carolina | $50,861 | 94.6 | $53,764 | 29 |
41 | Idaho | $49,225 | 92.2 | $53,389 | 30 |
39 | Louisiana | $50,256 | 94.4 | $53,237 | 31 |
8 | Alaska | $69,474 | 131.3 | $52,912 | 32 |
31 | Montana | $52,776 | 100.4 | $52,566 | 33 |
25 | Washington | $55,175 | 107.1 | $51,517 | 34 |
35 | South Carolina | $51,027 | 99.5 | $51,283 | 35 |
32 | Colorado | $52,389 | 102.3 | $51,211 | 36 |
49 | Oklahoma | $45,678 | 89.2 | $51,209 | 37 |
51 | Mississippi | $43,107 | 85.1 | $50,655 | 38 |
45 | New Mexico | $47,839 | 94.9 | $50,410 | 39 |
19 | New Hampshire | $57,833 | 115.0 | $50,290 | 40 |
34 | Virginia | $51,265 | 102.2 | $50,161 | 41 |
46 | Arizona | $47,746 | 95.6 | $49,944 | 42 |
48 | Utah | $47,604 | 95.7 | $49,743 | 43 |
4 | D.C. | $76,486 | 155.7 | $49,124 | 44 |
12 | Oregon | $63,143 | 129.3 | $48,834 | 45 |
16 | Vermont | $58,527 | 120.7 | $48,490 | 46 |
44 | South Dakota | $47,944 | 99.5 | $48,185 | 47 |
47 | Florida | $47,721 | 99.3 | $48,057 | 48 |
50 | West Virginia | $45,642 | 95.9 | $47,593 | 49 |
33 | Maine | $51,663 | 113.6 | $45,478 | 50 |
18 | Hawaii | $57,866 | 188.3 | $30,731 | 51 |