Raises for teachers, police and state workers in NC budget. Here’s the breakdown
Key Takeaways
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- North Carolina budget raises starting teacher pay to $48,000 from $41,000.
- State employees get a 3% across‑the‑board raise plus tiered bonuses.
- Some law enforcement raises average over 20%, up to about 27.5% for SBI civilians.
North Carolina’s state budget, a year overdue, gives raises to thousands of teachers and state employees.
Republican House Speaker Destin Hall and Republican Senate leader Phil Berger reached a final deal this week on the budget, which is expected to quickly pass the House and Senate and be sent to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein by Thursday. If it becomes law, raises could be coming in a matter of days.
Raises would be effective July 1, with bonuses expected later this year.
Raises for teachers, custodians, principals
Here’s a breakdown of education raises in the budget bill released on Tuesday:
- Base pay for starting teachers in North Carolina would be $48,000. Current base starting pay is $41,000.
- The average raise for teachers in the budget is 8%. The legislature sets base pay, with many receiving local supplements and additional pay for certifications and doctoral degrees.
- Some teachers received longevity-based step-increase raises in late 2025, but there has been a salary plateau for veteran teachers. The budget shows a base salary of $56,820 for teachers with 15 to 24 years of experience.
- Teachers with more than 25 years of experience would have a base pay of $59,000 a year.
- Principals and noncertified school personnel, which includes bus drivers and cafeteria staff, would receive 3% raises.
- Assistant principals, who are paid on a salary schedule similar to teachers, would receive an average 6.3% raise.
- Bonuses of $1,750 would be given by Oct. 31 to all school nutrition and custodial employees who work in local public schools.
- Bonuses of $1,000 would be given to teachers and assistant principals with more than 16 years of experience, and $500 bonuses would be given to those with fewer than 16 years of experience.
- Principal pay, which is based on student enrollment size, would range from $80,126 for schools with 200 or fewer students to $100,156 for schools larger than 1,601 students.
- Principals may also receive bonuses if their schools rank in the top 50% on certain benchmarks in the previous school year, ranging from $1,000 to $15,000.
State employee raises, bonuses
- A 3% across-the-board raise for all state employees.
- Bonuses of $1,750 for state employees with salaries of $65,000 or less.
- Bonuses of $1,000 for state employees with salaries more than $65,000.
Bonuses for retirees
- A 2.5% one-time bonus for retired state employees and teachers.
Raises, bonuses for state and local law enforcement
- State Highway Patrol will have a new salary schedule ranging from $63,250 for starting salaries to $92,290 with more than six years of experience.
- $1,750 bonus for sworn local law enforcement officers.
- Officers for the State Bureau of Investigation and Alcohol Law Enforcement are also on a new salary schedule ranging from $62,150 starting to $90,685 for more than six years of experience.
- Republican legislative leaders said Tuesday that SBI and ALE will receive an average 20.3% raise, including step increases, and an average 27.5% raise for SBI civilian personnel. Other averages are:
- 17.7% raise with step increases, for State Highway Patrol officers and up to 11.5% for civilian personnel in the agency.
- Average 15.4% raise with step increases for correctional officers, and average 10.1% raises with step increases for probation and parole officers.
- Other law enforcement officers across state government, including the State Capitol Police, will receive 13% raises, according to Berger and Hall.
Raises for the governor, attorney general, statewide elected officials
- 3% raise for the governor, with a new salary of $209,165.
- 3% raises for all other Council of State members, including the lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, labor commissioner, agriculture commissioner and insurance commissioner. Their new salary would be $173,436. That’s a raise from the current salary of $168,384.
Raises for universities, community colleges
- 3% raises for faculty and non-faculty personnel at NC Community Colleges statewide.
- 3% raises for employees of UNC universities who are employees both under and exempt from the State Human Resources Act.
General Assembly employees
- State employees who work for the General Assembly will receive 3% raises.
This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Raises for teachers, police and state workers in NC budget. Here’s the breakdown."
Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan
The News & Observer