BLS metro-level wage data places Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education pay in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC at a median of $51,970 per year, drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $64,370, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton pays 19% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 850 middle school teachers, except special and career/technical educations are employed across the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton MSA in SOC 25-2022.

The Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton pay distribution spans from $43,050 at the 10th percentile to $60,570 at the 90th — a 1.4× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $45,580 and the 75th at $59,260, so half of Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton-based middle school teachers, except special and career/technical educations earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide NC data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.