Become a Teacher in North Carolina

To earn your North Carolina teaching credential you will have to complete the appropriate amount of undergraduate coursework and standardized tests, as well as an accredited certification program. If you have a valid teaching credential from another state, you may be eligible to earn your North Carolina teaching credential through interstate reciprocity. To learn more about earning your North Carolina teaching credential, visit the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Licensure Section homepage. North Carolina issues a Professional Educator’s Initial License to those with 0–2 years of experience. The Professional Educator’s Continuing License is for teachers with at least three years of experience.

Learn more about getting your teaching credential on Teach.com.

Graduates from accredited colleges or universities who obtained bachelor’s degrees in an area other than education and have not earned a teaching certificate can still become teachers in the State of North Carolina by fulfilling alternative requirements. North Carolina refers to the process as “lateral entry.”

The candidate must take appropriate Praxis and Pearson tests and then teach while completing required coursework at a college or university. One of the state’s Regional Alternative Licensing Centers (RALC) can help determine what coursework is needed and perform evaluations geared to the needs of lateral entry teachers.

Alternative licensure is also available through the North Carolina Troops to Teachers program.

Individuals with out-of-state credentials can apply for a North Carolina Professional license. Out-of-state teaching experience may also be credited to a North Carolina license. Reciprocity can vary from person to person, so the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction should be contacted in regards to specific, individual cases. To find out more about interstate reciprocity, visit the Teach.com reciprocity page.

To find out what other state teaching licenses can be used in North Carolina, check out our Teacher Certification Reciprocity page on Teach.com.

North Carolina teaching jobs can be located on the online application system, which is maintained by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The system enables prospective teachers to search for teaching jobs based on specialty and location and provides direct links to websites for school districts, which often list available teaching positions. 

Learn more about finding a teaching job on Teach.com.

The average salary for a school teacher in North Carolina is around $51,10 depending on grade level, according to 2019 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. All public schools in North Carolina follow a salary schedule to determine the pay rate for teachers. The salary schedule increases teachers’ salaries based on experience and degree level.

Pay increases with each year of experience, and those who hold advanced degrees, such as a master’s degree, may also be paid higher salaries. Mentoring new teachers and becoming National Board Certified Teachers can also result in a higher salary in North Carolina.

Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.

After a period of service, teachers who have taught in the North Carolina public school system become vested in the state retirement system. Teacher retirement benefits in North Carolina are handled through the state’s Retirement Systems Division. North Carolina teachers can retire with full benefits at age 65 after 5 years of service, at age 60 after 25 years of service, or at any age after 30 years of service.

Other benefits offered to North Carolina teachers include family medical leave, state health plan coverage, extended sick leave, longevity pay, disability income, personal leave, and one to two vacation days per month, which can be accumulated if they are not used during the month they are earned. View the North Carolina public school teachers’ benefits manual for more information.

Learn more about benefits for teachers on Teach.com.

Teacher Shortage information was provided by the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide Listings for 2020-2021, and was determined by examining the most recent data about unfilled teaching positions; positions filled by teachers certified by irregular, provisional, temporary, or emergency certification; and teachers teaching in subject areas other than their area of preparation.

North Carolina residents are eligible for the Applegate/Jackson/Parks Future Teacher Scholarship as well as the TEACH Grant, a grant that gives financial aid to students in return for an agreement to teach in a high-need field in a low-income area.

Learn more about how to finance your Master’s degree on Teach.com.

The NCDPI provides access to a number of professional development opportunities for North Carolina public school teachers. North Carolina teachers must accrue 80 hours of continuing education every 5 years in order to renew their licenses.

Higher Pay: Annual salaries are roughly $3,000 to $5,000 higher for North Carolina teachers who possess a Master’s degree, depending on years of experience. Annual salaries are also higher for those who also obtain a National Board for Professional Teacher Standards Certification.

Learn more about the benefits of a Master of Arts in Teaching vs. Master of Education on Teach.com.