Elementary School Teachers salary in Raleigh, NC
Median pay for elementary school teachers in Raleigh, NC: $56,930/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $47,950 – $74,810 · about 5,350 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($62,430) by −$5,500 (-9%).
What it's really worth in Raleigh
With Raleigh's cost of living at 98 (US=100), that $56,930 has the buying power of about $57,882 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $91,818 · median home $438,364 · median rent $1,694/mo.
How Raleigh ranks for this job
On raw pay, Raleigh, NC is 137th of the 187 metros we hold elementary school teachers wages for. Once Raleigh's cost of living is applied, it ranks 148th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Raleigh sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Raleigh
A median home in Raleigh, NC costs $438,364 — about 7.7× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,694/mo works out at 36% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where elementary school teachers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Raleigh.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Raleigh | Rent vs Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | $105,090 | +85% | 1.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,440 | +82% | 1.9× |
| Oxnard, CA | $103,350 | +82% | 1.8× |
| Modesto, CA | $101,210 | +78% | 1.2× |
Same job elsewhere in NC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Raleigh | Rent vs Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | $57,930 | +2% | 1× |
| Durham, NC | $51,740 | −9% | 1× |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $51,100 | −10% | 0.9× |
| Greensboro, NC | $50,500 | −11% | 0.8× |
Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires elementary school teachers around Raleigh
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- University of North Carolina · Education
- North Carolina State University · Education
Other jobs in Raleigh
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.