Your Pay vs. the Cost of Living
What Is Your State Pay Really Worth Today?
See how legislative raises since you were hired stack up against rising costs — and how much buying power you've lost.
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Enter any year from 1992 to 2025. Starting salary is optional — leave it blank to use a typical NC state employee salary for that year. Results are most accurate if you have not received promotions or reclassifications. Note: In 2018, the state set a minimum annual salary of $31,200 for state employees; results may vary for those whose pay was affected by that floor. The 2026 budget also included targeted raises for some positions beyond the baseline 3%; those are not reflected here.
Note: These figures reflect cumulative legislative salary increases only. Results are most accurate if you have remained in the same position throughout your career. Promotions, reclassifications, or agency-specific pay adjustments are not reflected. Cost-of-living figures use U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U annual averages. Flat-dollar increases are applied to your entered salary or to the estimated median NC state salary for that year if none is entered.
Legislative Record
State Employee Pay Increases, 1992–2025
Year-by-year legislative pay increases, career growth, and bonuses/other items.
| Year | Pay Increase | Career Growth | Bonuses / Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | $522 | — | — |
| 1993 | 2% | — | 1% |
| 1994 | 4% | — | 1% |
| 1995 | 2% | — | — |
| 1996 | 2.5% | 2% | — |
| 1997 | 2% | 2% | — |
| 1998 | 1% | 2% | 1% |
| 1999 | 1% | 2% | 1.25% |
| 2000 | 2% | 2% | $500 |
| 2001 | 5% | — | — |
| 2002 | 0 | — | 10 days bonus leave |
| 2003 | 0 | — | $550 bonus + 10 days bonus leave |
| 2004 | 2.5% for salaries >$40K; $1,000 for salaries <$40K | — | — |
| 2005 | Greater of $850 or 2% | — | 5 days bonus leave |
| 2006 | 5.5% | — | — |
| 2007 | 4% | — | — |
| 2008 | Greater of $1,100 or 2.75% | — | — |
| 2009 | 0 | — | — |
| 2010 | 0 | — | — |
| 2011 | 0 | — | — |
| 2012 | 1.2% | — | 5 days special leave |
| 2013 | 0 | — | 5 days special leave |
| 2014 | $1,000 flat increase | — | 5 days special leave |
| 2015 | 0 | — | $750 bonus |
| 2016 | 1.5% | — | 0.5% bonus + variable merit bonus |
| 2017 | $1,000 | — | 3 days special bonus leave |
| 2018 | 2% or increase to $31,200 minimum | — | 5 days special bonus leave; 4% for eligible corrections employees; 6% + step pay for eligible highway patrol |
| 2019 | 2.5% | — | 5 days special bonus leave; 4% for eligible corrections employees; 6% + step pay for eligible highway patrol |
| 2020 | 2.5% | — | — |
| 2021 | 2.5% | — | $1,000 pandemic bonus for permanent FTE. Additional $500 if salary ≤$75,000 or employee is in law enforcement or ACJJ/DPS |
| 2022 | 3.5% | — | Excludes employees on experience-based salary schedules |
| 2023 | 4% | — | Excludes employees on experience-based salary schedules |
| 2024 | 3% | — | — |
| 2025 | 0 | — | — |
