House and Senate budget negotiators in Raleigh finalized agreement on a supplemental spending plan directing $940 million from North Carolina’s unreserved revenue reserves directly into educator base pay and master’s degree salary supplements.
The plan will raise average starting teacher compensation in North Carolina to $48,500, with step-increases for experienced teachers reaching $72,000 in high-poverty school systems.
Tackling the Educator Shortage
State Superintendent Catherine Truitt praised the consensus, citing data that North Carolina lost over 4,000 certified educators to neighboring states and the private sector between 2022 and 2025.
“When our teacher pay trails Virginia and Georgia, we end up training superb educators in our UNC system who immediately pack up and cross the state line,” said Truitt. “This budget sends an unmistakable signal: North Carolina values the men and women who teach our children.”
