NC teachers sound warning about their low pay in new survey. Will they leave?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Survey respondents frequently linked low compensation to potential teacher departures.
- The survey was filled out by 102,640 public school educators this year.
- Thousands marched in Raleigh demanding a 25% pay raise and $20,000 per-pupil funding.
North Carolina teachers are trying to spread the message that they could leave the profession if they don’t get enough of a pay raise from the state.
Compensation and school funding were concerns that the state Department of Public Instruction said were frequently mentioned in the 2026 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions survey. The State Board of Education will get a presentation on the new survey results on Wednesday, less than a week after thousands of educators marched on Raleigh.
“Some comments described teachers working additional jobs, struggling to keep pace with rising costs, or questioning whether compensation reflects the demands and responsibilities of the profession,” DPI said in its summary of the survey findings. “Others connected funding concerns to classroom-level conditions, including staffing, class size, instructional resources, and the ability of schools to provide adequate support for students.
“These comments suggest that compensation is not viewed only as an individual financial issue, but also as a broader working condition that affects whether educators feel valued and whether schools can attract and retain experienced teachers.”
Teachers voice frustrations with pay in survey
On Friday, thousands of teachers and public school supporters marched on the Legislative Building with demands that included a 25% pay raise for school employees and increasing per-pupil funding to $20,000 per child.
Some of the protesters held signs citing how the National Education Association recently ranked North Carolina as 46th in the nation this school year in both average teacher pay and per-pupil spending.
Those signs were echoed in several of the comments on the Teaching Working Conditions Survey that was filled out earlier this year by 102,640 public school educators.
“Increasing teacher pay should be a priority,” one teacher commented. “Many educators are forced to work two or even three jobs simply to make ends meet. This places additional stress on teachers and can impact their ability to focus fully on their students and work.”
Overall, 91.1% of the teachers who filled out the survey said they intend to continue teaching next year. But that still leaves thousands of teachers who say they can’t stay in the classroom any longer.
“I cannot continue to support my family with the state sponsored increases to healthcare and power if I do not receive a significant raise in the near future,” another teacher commented in the survey. “I will be seeking employment out of state at my earliest convenience.”
This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 4:25 PM with the headline "NC teachers sound warning about their low pay in new survey. Will they leave?."
