Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does an elementary school teacher make in Hickory-Lenoir, NC?

In the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metropolitan area, elementary school teachers earned a median of $49,540 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,560 of these jobs there. That is 10% above the $45,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $44,600 and $58,710; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $40,517 in take-home pay.

Elementary school teacher pay in Hickory-Lenoir, NC at a glance

Median salary

$49,540$4,128 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$44,600—
25th percentile$47,130—
75th percentile$57,820—
90th percentile$58,710—
Jobs in this metro1,560Location quotient 1.14 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here10% aboveAll-jobs median $45,220
Against North Carolina10% belowStatewide median $54,930
Against the U.S.23% belowNational median $63,970

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Elementary school teacher salary in Hickory-Lenoir, NC after taxes

$49,540
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$49,540
Net 82%
Fed 8%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$40,517After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,376Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,558Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,765 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$1,468 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,790 / yr

Elementary school teachers pay range in Hickory-Lenoir, NC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What elementary school teachers earned in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile—$3,717$44,600$36,745
25th percentile—$3,928$47,130$38,677
MedianMedian—$4,128$49,540$40,517
75th percentile—$4,818$57,820$46,840
90th percentile—$4,893$58,710$47,520

Is $49,540 a good salary in Hickory-Lenoir, NC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for elementary school teachers next to both.

Median household income$62,787Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.511.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household78.9%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Elementary school teacher pay in Hickory-Lenoir, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for elementary school teachers in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for elementary school teachers in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area was $49,540 in May 2025, about $4,128 a month. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $54,930, so the metro pays 10% below the state.

Is there an hourly rate for elementary school teachers in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

How many elementary school teachers work in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

BLS estimated 1,560 jobs for elementary school teachers in the metro in May 2025, or 10.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.14 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for elementary school teachers in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

BLS wage estimates for elementary school teachers in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC run from $44,600 at the 10th percentile to $47,130 at the 25th, $57,820 at the 75th, and $58,710 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do elementary school teachers take home after taxes in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

On a median gross salary of $49,540, an estimated $40,517 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,558 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,023 (an effective rate of 18.2%).

How much do elementary school teachers make per month in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

On the median annual salary of $49,540, gross monthly income is $4,128. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,376 per month (or $1,558 every two weeks).

Is $49,540 a good salary in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

At $49,540, the median salary for elementary school teachers is 78.9% of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC median household income ($62,787). It is 10% above the $45,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.5, so prices here run 11.5% below the U.S. average.