My initial calculations indicate that North Carolina’s average teacher salary, when adjusted for cost of living (COL), ranks 26th in the nation. I explained the methodology used to adjust for cost of living differences in a research brief published last year.
The unadjusted ranking is 30th in the nation, according to a report released by the National Education Association earlier today.
| State/Jurisdiction | 2019-20 Salary | 2019-20 Rank | COL Index | COL Adjusted Salary | Adjusted Salary Rank |
| Illinois | $68,305.00 | 11 | 89.7 | $76,148.27 | 1 |
| Michigan | $62,185.00 | 16 | 90.1 | $69,017.76 | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | $70,258.00 | 10 | 103.2 | $68,079.46 | 3 |
| Georgia | $60,578.00 | 18 | 90 | $67,308.89 | 4 |
| Washington | $72,965.00 | 8 | 112.2 | $65,031.19 | 5 |
| Ohio | $59,713.00 | 20 | 92.1 | $64,834.96 | 6 |
| Massachusetts | $83,622.00 | 3 | 129.7 | $64,473.40 | 7 |
| Iowa | $58,917.00 | 23 | 91.4 | $64,460.61 | 8 |
| United States | $63,645.00 | N/A | 100 | $63,645.00 | N/A |
| Connecticut | $78,247.00 | 5 | 124.2 | $63,000.81 | 9 |
| Wyoming | $59,014.00 | 22 | 94.5 | $62,448.68 | 10 |
| New Jersey | $76,376.00 | 6 | 122.4 | $62,398.69 | 11 |
| Oklahoma | $54,038.00 | 33 | 86.7 | $62,327.57 | 12 |
| Texas | $57,091.00 | 26 | 91.7 | $62,258.45 | 13 |
| New Mexico | $54,256.00 | 31 | 87.2 | $62,220.18 | 14 |
| Wisconsin | $59,176.00 | 21 | 95.7 | $61,834.90 | 15 |
| Kansas | $52,554.00 | 38 | 86.5 | $60,756.07 | 16 |
| Alabama | $54,095.00 | 32 | 89.6 | $60,373.88 | 17 |
| Delaware | $64,853.00 | 15 | 107.7 | $60,216.34 | 18 |
| Nebraska | $55,267.00 | 28 | 92.8 | $59,554.96 | 19 |
| California | $84,659.00 | 2 | 142.7 | $59,326.56 | 20 |
| Minnesota | $58,663.00 | 24 | 101.2 | $57,967.39 | 21 |
| Tennessee | $51,862.00 | 41 | 90 | $57,624.44 | 22 |
| Indiana | $51,508.00 | 42 | 89.5 | $57,550.84 | 23 |
| Missouri | $50,817.00 | 44 | 88.3 | $57,550.40 | 24 |
| Maryland | $73,444.00 | 7 | 128 | $57,378.13 | 25 |
| North Carolina | $54,682.00 | 30 | 95.5 | $57,258.64 | 26 |
| Kentucky | $53,907.00 | 35 | 94.2 | $57,226.11 | 27 |
| Rhode Island | $67,323.00 | 13 | 118.6 | $56,764.76 | 28 |
| Arkansas | $49,822.00 | 48 | 88.2 | $56,487.53 | 29 |
| New York | $87,543.00 | 1 | 155.9 | $56,153.30 | 30 |
| Idaho | $52,875.00 | 36 | 94.3 | $56,071.05 | 31 |
| New Hampshire | $60,003.00 | 19 | 108 | $55,558.33 | 32 |
| Colorado | $57,269.00 | 25 | 103.2 | $55,493.22 | 33 |
| Alaska | $70,877.00 | 9 | 128.4 | $55,200.16 | 34 |
| Utah | $52,819.00 | 37 | 96.9 | $54,508.77 | 35 |
| West Virginia | $50,238.00 | 46 | 92.4 | $54,370.13 | 36 |
| North Dakota | $52,328.00 | 39 | 96.5 | $54,225.91 | 37 |
| South Carolina | $51,485.00 | 43 | 95.5 | $53,910.99 | 38 |
| Louisiana | $50,217.00 | 47 | 93.5 | $53,708.02 | 39 |
| Mississippi | $45,192.00 | 51 | 84.7 | $53,355.37 | 40 |
| Virginia | $53,933.00 | 34 | 101.4 | $53,188.36 | 41 |
| Vermont | $61,108.00 | 17 | 116.7 | $52,363.32 | 42 |
| Nevada | $56,672.00 | 27 | 108.8 | $52,088.24 | 43 |
| Oregon | $67,685.00 | 12 | 134.3 | $50,398.36 | 44 |
| Arizona | $50,381.00 | 45 | 100.1 | $50,330.67 | 45 |
| D.C. | $79,350.00 | 4 | 160.7 | $49,377.72 | 46 |
| South Dakota | $49,220.00 | 49 | 99.7 | $49,368.10 | 47 |
| Florida | $48,800.00 | 50 | 99.2 | $49,193.55 | 48 |
| Montana | $52,135.00 | 40 | 108.2 | $48,183.92 | 49 |
| Maine | $54,967.00 | 29 | 115.2 | $47,714.41 | 50 |
| Hawaii | $65,409.00 | 14 | 197.6 | $33,101.72 | 51 |
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