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North Carolina’s state budget, a year overdue, gives raises to thousands of teachers and state employees.
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Republican House Speaker Destin Hall and Republican Senate leader Phil Berger reached a final deal this week on the budget, which is expected to quickly pass the House and Senate and be sent to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein by Thursday. If it becomes law, raises could be coming in a matter of days.
Raises would be effective July 1, with bonuses expected later this year.
Here’s a breakdown of education raises in the budget bill released on Tuesday:
Ardis Watkins, the executive director of the State Employees Association of North Carolina, said the 3% raises don’t keep up with inflation, and pointed out the lack of raises in 2025, when there was no new budget passed.
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“Legislators love to tell us how well North Carolina’s economy is doing, but this budget looks like the work of a state that’s struggling. State employees got no raise last year, while their healthcare costs went up dramatically. This year, most will only get 3% — which doesn’t keep pace with inflation for this year much less makes up for last year,” Watkins said in a statement.
She also criticized the 2.5% bonus for retirees for being one-time money instead of a recurring raise.
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This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 12:37 PM.