Salaries · United States · Rhode Island
Salaries in Rhode Island 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Rhode Island is $56,780 a year ($27.30 an hour), 11% above the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 13th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Rhode Island earn a median of $66,923 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Rhode Island: the key figures
| Figure | Rhode Island | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $56,780 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $71,900 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $32,470 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $128,120 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 501,340 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $66,923 ± $603 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $87,796 ± $1,209 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 102.3 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $16.00 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $56,780, a single person keeps about $45,666 a year ($3,805 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Rhode Island income tax and state payroll contributions. With prices 2% above the US average, $56,780 here buys what $55,500 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $56,780 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$4,634 |
| Social Security | -$3,520 |
| Medicare | -$823 |
| Rhode Island income tax | -$1,512 |
| Temporary Disability Insurance / Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TDI/TCI) | -$625 |
| Take-home a year | $45,666 |
What drives pay in Rhode Island
Rhode Island's pay rests on health care, education and finance. Health care and social assistance pays 14.9% of all employee compensation in the state (US 12.0%), and the Department of Labor and Training (DLT) calls it the state's largest industry sector. Educational services, including the universities and colleges, produce 3.0% of GDP (US 1.1%) and pay 4.6% of compensation. Insurance carriers are 6.7% of GDP, twice the US share, and other transportation equipment, the category that includes shipbuilding, is 2.0% (US 0.65%), according to BEA.
The most common jobs are service jobs, led by fast food workers, retail salespersons, nursing assistants and waiters, but a $16.00 state minimum wage lifts the bottom of the scale. Only one worker in ten earns less than $32,470 (US $31,200), and nursing assistants earn a median of $46,440 and home health aides $43,680. At the top, the 90th percentile, $128,120, is close to the US figure. The all-jobs median is $56,780, 11% above the US and 13th of the 50 states and DC, with prices about 2% above the US average.
The job market has cooled since a record in 2025. DLT reports that jobs peaked at 517,800 in May 2025 and had fallen by 4,100 by February 2026, with the federal government, retail and head offices among the losers and health care the biggest gainer, while unemployment rose to 4.6%, the highest since October 2021. Real GDP still grew 2.8% in 2025, faster than the US, though only 11.8% from 2019 to 2025. The minimum wage is due to rise to $17.00 in January 2027.
The highest-paid jobs in Rhode Island
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 1,180 | $228,590 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,210 | $167,270 |
| Financial Managers | 2,570 | $166,940 |
| Sales Managers | 1,120 | $154,970 |
| Lawyers | 1,840 | $138,960 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,180 | $135,970 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 1,850 | $134,630 |
| Software Developers | 5,070 | $130,590 |
| Pharmacists | 1,510 | $128,180 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 1,160 | $119,980 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 3,370 | $119,260 |
| General and Operations Managers | 9,150 | $117,380 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 1,560 | $116,230 |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | 1,140 | $106,520 |
| Project Management Specialists | 3,880 | $104,680 |
The most common jobs in Rhode Island
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 13,310 | $31,490 | $15.14 |
| Retail Salespersons | 12,830 | $34,860 | $16.76 |
| Nursing Assistants | 10,220 | $46,440 | $22.33 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 10,160 | $35,420 | $17.03 |
| Registered Nurses | 10,090 | $100,640 | $48.39 |
| Cashiers | 9,260 | $34,860 | $16.76 |
| General and Operations Managers | 9,150 | $117,380 | $56.43 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 7,890 | $47,550 | $22.86 |
| Office Clerks, General | 7,700 | $47,830 | $23.00 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 7,490 | $43,680 | $21.00 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 7,270 | $37,310 | $17.94 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 6,950 | $36,510 | $17.55 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 6,760 | $41,690 | $20.05 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 6,660 | $36,470 | $17.53 |
| Accountants and Auditors | 6,570 | $95,820 | $46.07 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Rhode Island
Official BLS medians for Rhode Island; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | 360 | $161,560 |
| Physician Assistant | 810 | $139,930 |
| Lawyer | 1,840 | $138,960 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 1,180 | $135,970 |
| Software Engineer | 5,070 | $130,590 |
| Pharmacist | 1,510 | $128,180 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 50 | $126,300 |
| Actuary | 100 | $111,090 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 710 | $109,420 |
| UX Designer | 240 | $105,990 |
| Project Manager | 3,880 | $104,680 |
| Data Scientist | 1,160 | $102,440 |
| Registered Nurse | 10,090 | $100,640 |
| Financial Analyst | 1,790 | $100,550 |
| Commercial Pilot | 80 | $98,820 |
| Accountant | 6,570 | $95,820 |
| Compliance Officer | 970 | $87,620 |
| Dental Hygienist | 770 | $86,910 |
| Plumber | 1,820 | $76,470 |
| Electrician | 2,420 | $74,090 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 120 | $70,720 |
| HVAC Technician | 1,450 | $67,370 |
| Paralegal | 2,070 | $56,250 |
| Welder | 2,300 | $50,580 |
Rhode Island and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $56,780 | 102.3 | $55,500 |
| Connecticut | $59,690 | 103.6 | $57,600 |
| Massachusetts | $63,590 | 105.8 | $60,100 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Rhode Island, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Labor Market Information Division: 'Labor Market Conditions in Rhode Island', testimony by Lisa Dutilly, Chief of Research and Analysis, to the May 2026 Revenue Estimating Conference, 29 Apr 2026
- Paygrade src/data/minimum-wage-us.json (Rhode Island General Laws 28-12-3), statute accessed 30 Oct 2026 by the site's data build
Related
- Salary comparison by city: what a salary is worth in another US city
- Salaries in the United States