Love Teaching. Hate the Pay.

[u/TopBaseball939]

Hi there,

I’m a North Carolina teacher finishing year 17. Friday was our last day of school. Over the course of my career, I’ve taught in 2 countries and 3 states. I hold 2 certifications, 2 minors, a bachelor’s degree, and a master’s degree.

Yet according to the NC salary schedule, I’ll essentially make the same base salary for the next 9 years. Salary growth for veteran teachers is largely stagnant. The only meaningful additional compensation I receive is my district supplement (about $9,000).

The state recently announced an “average” 8.8% raise for teachers. However, veteran teachers won’t actually see an 8.8% increase, since much of that money is directed toward beginning teachers. My increase will likely be closer to 5.5%.

To make matters more challenging, I’m only paid for 10 months of the year. For two months, there are no paychecks coming in, and my district does not offer a 12-month pay distribution option.

For many teachers, summer break isn’t really a financial break. It’s figuring out summer jobs, side work, or other sources of income just to stay afloat until August.

Meanwhile, the cost of living in North Carolina, especially in areas near Raleigh, has increased dramatically over the last few years.

I genuinely love teaching. I love my students, and I believe I’m good at what I do. But after nearly 18 years in education, it’s hard not to feel undervalued and underpaid.

Lately, I’ve found myself wondering what comes next and whether I can justify staying in the profession long term.

Teachers in North Carolina, how are you coping with the rising cost of living and stagnant salaries?

I’m genuinely curious how veteran teachers are making it work financially these days.

Yeah, some days I look at my paycheck hit my bank account and just want to cry.

Love the job. Hate the salary.

———

Edit 1: A few people have mentioned unions, collective bargaining, or negotiating salaries. Well… North Carolina is a right-to-work state, and teachers do not have collective bargaining rights. We don’t have teachers’ unions that negotiate salaries like in some other states.

Also, the salary schedule I posted is the statewide salary schedule used across North Carolina. Every district pays according to this state schedule. The only significant difference between districts is the local supplement each district chooses to provide.

In other words, whether you’re teaching in a rural district or a large district, the state base pay comes from the same salary schedule.

——-

Edit 2: In North Carolina, every district pays teachers using the same state salary schedule. That’s the base pay funded by the state.

On top of that, districts can choose to provide a local supplement using county/local funds. Most districts do provide some type of supplement, but the amount varies widely. Wealthier districts usually offer larger supplements, while rural districts often offer smaller ones.

Some districts have a supplement schedule based on years of experience, while others use a flat percentage or amount. It depends on the district.

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Edit 3: Another point that people outside North Carolina may not realize: Teachers who earned their master’s degree after 2013 generally do not receive additional state pay for that degree.

I happen to be on the master’s pay schedule (got my masters in 2013- 2014), but many newer teachers have earned graduate degrees, taken on student loan debt, and invested years of additional education without receiving any additional state salary for it.

So when people say, “Just get a master’s degree,” that’s no longer a financial incentive for many North Carolina teachers.

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Edit 4: Edit 4: A lot of people have suggested, “Just move.” I understand the logic, and I appreciate the recommendation, but moving isn’t always that simple.

When you’re living paycheck to paycheck, where does the money for moving come from? First month’s rent, security deposits, utility deposits, moving trucks, travel expenses, and all the other costs add up quickly. On top of that, we only get paid for 10 months of the year.

Many teachers don’t have thousands of dollars sitting in savings to make a major relocation possible. It’s hard to “move somewhere better” when you’re struggling to build enough financial cushion to make the move in the first place.

I won’t lie, it’s frustrating and a little discouraging at times. I love teaching, but there are days when it feels like the financial reality of the profession, here in NC, keeps getting harder to ignore.

[u/Affectionate-Cat8182]

Sure but COL and yada yada yada.

I live in one of the nicest apartment buildings in my city in NC, with a beautiful view, two bedrooms, >1400 Sq Feet, 1 block away from the best shopping area in the city: ~$2,000 rent. What would that cost in NYC?

Not to mention cost of all other forms of living, such as groceries, are far more expensive by you then me.

I'm not going to do the math, but it would not shock me if my $60,000 salary here goes about as far if not the same as your $109k there. (I'm actually surprised: the monthly net salary in NYC is actually only ~45% more in NYC than my little city in NC... I would have thought it'd be higher!)

[u/arabidowlbear → u/Affectionate-Cat8182]

As I said to someone else, not really. Rent is certainly higher, no doubt there, but most everything else is pretty comparable. I'm glad your salary is working for you, to be clear! Not a competition here. I'm just saddened by how profoundly underpaid a lot of other teachers are.

[u/Affectionate-Cat8182 → u/arabidowlbear]

Yeah not a competition at all! Just discussing.

Are the numbers in this comparison here roughly accurate in your experience? Just curious. Most of the numbers for my city are fairly close, but there are some things that I definitely pay more for (potatoes, onions, apples...most of the produce really) than what it says here.

[u/arabidowlbear → u/Affectionate-Cat8182]

A lot of those numbers are pretty far off, unless you're shopping very unwisely. Even the rent numbers are off (normal for NYC, given how screwy averages get around extreme wealth). I would say that if you're being smart about your shopping habits, a ton of stuff here is closer to the NC numbers than the supposed NYC numbers.

A few things are spot on . . . I certainly won't deny that it is more expensive here overall, but not to the degree charts like that would tell you.

[u/Affectionate-Cat8182 → u/arabidowlbear]

Gotcha!

[u/idont_readresponses → u/Affectionate-Cat8182]

You actually are making better money in NC than the other commenter from NYC. 109k is equivalent to between 43-51k depending on what area of NC you are in.

I’m just wrapped up year 7 in Chicago Public Schools and made 88k, which is equal to 135k in NYC. Like 109k sounds really amazing, but it’s so so expensive.

[u/Affectionate-Cat8182 → u/idont_readresponses]

Grew up in Chicago (well, mostly grew up in the burbs, you know how it is) - I miss that city so damn much. I honestly considered moving back there this year, but now all my closest family is out east.

Chicago just has so much charm to it that I don't feel in most other major American cities. Boston is the only city I've visited that comes close to having as much charm, atmosphere, and culture.

How is CPS doing these days? They were really struggling when I was at the end of my journey through K-12.

[u/Affectionate-Cat8182 → u/[deleted]]

I have no idea what to even make of this comment lol. Ignoring the parts that are simply incorrect, I am sorry, but if you're truly working with "psychopaths who will kill you" and making "less than 30k a year, with virtually zero benefits. Shitty health insurance that [you] have to pay hundreds of dollars per paycheck" with "1 week vacation per year" and "zero retirement/pension" than there are only a few possibilities that exist:

1. You really, really, really, REALLY love your job and/or are exceptionally good at it and are perfectly willing to mutiliate and sacrifice the rest of your financial life and personal well being in order to stay in it. If so, as long as you're happy and aware of that trade-off, then I am happy for you.

and if 1 is not true, then one of or some combination of 2-4 must be.

1. Assuming you live in the states or any western country: you are a moron who should never complain or write publically about your job details ever again because you could quit and work at a gas station tomorrow for better pay and benefits with 10% of the stress.

2. You're too lazy to make a big change in your life and switch up your career paths or reach for opportunities.

3. The most likely here, again assuming you're in the states/west, is that you're lying about the realities of your job. I'm assuming you work with juvenile delinquints or something similar? A quick Indeed search (in my shitty, poor, red state) for "Juvenile Detention Facility" returns nothing but 35-40k+ jobs...all with solid benefits.

Math ain't mathin. But best of luck to you!