High paying teaching and library jobs in North Carolina

Every teaching and library occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in North Carolina. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single teaching and library job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in North Carolina run 5.7% below the national average (2024), so a North Carolina salary is worth about 1.06× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in North Carolina.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find teaching jobs in North Carolina

OccupationMedian, North Carolina · Employed

1Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$103,220
Doctoral or professional degree
$60,110 – $329,8009,240
2Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary$80,400
Doctoral or professional degree
$59,770 – $110,6202,560
3Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary$80,080
Doctoral or professional degree
$45,270 – $135,9001,650
4Business Teachers, Postsecondary$79,600
Doctoral or professional degree
$42,480 – $173,3202,960
5Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary$77,700
Doctoral or professional degree
$51,490 – $136,0201,960
6Postsecondary Teachers, All Other$74,240
Doctoral or professional degree
$36,780 – $163,1302,030
7Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$73,800
Master's degree
$45,460 – $104,6202,880
8Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$73,620
Doctoral or professional degree
$49,410 – $132,7201,870
9Education Teachers, Postsecondary$70,050
Doctoral or professional degree
$41,030 – $105,8202,130
10English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$63,370
Doctoral or professional degree
$42,620 – $99,8102,140
11Instructional Coordinators$63,340
Master's degree
$46,370 – $95,1508,260
12Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary$62,390
Bachelor's degree
$44,680 – $82,0106,510
13Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other$61,580
Bachelor's degree
$37,610 – $79,2904,830
14Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$61,420
Master's degree
$44,600 – $83,6504,010
15Special Education Teachers, Middle School$59,360
Bachelor's degree
$44,580 – $73,6702,470
16Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School$58,600
Bachelor's degree
$46,850 – $69,5902,650
17Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$58,260
Bachelor's degree
$44,720 – $73,9904,430
18Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$57,650
Bachelor's degree
$45,430 – $64,46028,620
19Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$56,770
Bachelor's degree
$45,200 – $70,6003,400
20Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$54,930
Bachelor's degree
$45,570 – $62,59042,410
21Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$53,180
Bachelor's degree
$40,760 – $63,6202,250
22Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$52,010
Bachelor's degree
$44,660 – $61,77020,650
23Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$51,810
Bachelor's degree
$40,440 – $72,1303,720
24Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary$50,050
Bachelor's degree
$33,130 – $73,9802,900
25Teachers and Instructors, All Other$50,000
Bachelor's degree
$37,780 – $92,5403,660
26Library Technicians$46,520
Postsecondary nondegree award
$30,670 – $58,4902,350
27Tutors$42,390
Some college, no degree
$27,020 – $72,5305,780
28Self-Enrichment Teachers$41,710
High school diploma or equivalent
$25,420 – $76,4909,320
29Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$35,710
Associate's degree
$28,700 – $47,53018,370
30Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$33,780
Bachelor's degree
$28,390 – $45,04020,360
31Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$29,790
Some college, no degree
$25,110 – $38,05032,150

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianNorth Carolina	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$103,220	$60,110 – $329,800	9,240
2	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$80,400	$59,770 – $110,620	2,560
3	Computer Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$80,080	$45,270 – $135,900	1,650
4	Business Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$79,600	$42,480 – $173,320	2,960
5	Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$77,700	$51,490 – $136,020	1,960
6	Postsecondary Teachers, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$74,240	$36,780 – $163,130	2,030
7	Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$73,800	$45,460 – $104,620	2,880
8	Mathematical Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$73,620	$49,410 – $132,720	1,870
9	Education Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$70,050	$41,030 – $105,820	2,130
10	English Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$63,370	$42,620 – $99,810	2,140
11	Instructional CoordinatorsMaster's degree	$63,340	$46,370 – $95,150	8,260
12	Career/Technical Education Teachers, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$62,390	$44,680 – $82,010	6,510
13	Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$61,580	$37,610 – $79,290	4,830
14	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$61,420	$44,600 – $83,650	4,010
15	Special Education Teachers, Middle SchoolBachelor's degree	$59,360	$44,580 – $73,670	2,470
16	Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$58,600	$46,850 – $69,590	2,650
17	Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary SchoolBachelor's degree	$58,260	$44,720 – $73,990	4,430
18	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$57,650	$45,430 – $64,460	28,620
19	Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$56,770	$45,200 – $70,600	3,400
20	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$54,930	$45,570 – $62,590	42,410
21	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$53,180	$40,760 – $63,620	2,250
22	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$52,010	$44,660 – $61,770	20,650
23	Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language InstructorsBachelor's degree	$51,810	$40,440 – $72,130	3,720
24	Teaching Assistants, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$50,050	$33,130 – $73,980	2,900
25	Teachers and Instructors, All OtherBachelor's degree	$50,000	$37,780 – $92,540	3,660
26	Library TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$46,520	$30,670 – $58,490	2,350
27	TutorsSome college, no degree	$42,390	$27,020 – $72,530	5,780
28	Self-Enrichment TeachersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,710	$25,420 – $76,490	9,320
29	Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationAssociate's degree	$35,710	$28,700 – $47,530	18,370
30	Substitute Teachers, Short-TermBachelor's degree	$33,780	$28,390 – $45,040	20,360
31	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$29,790	$25,110 – $38,050	32,150

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in North Carolina. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for North Carolina

Metro areas in North Carolina

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in North Carolina

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in North Carolina to rank honestly.

High paying teaching and library jobs in North Carolina

More for North Carolina

Metro areas in North Carolina

By field in North Carolina

Without a degree

High paying teaching and library jobs in each state