Accountant · Rhode Island · SOC 13-2011
Accountant Salary in Rhode Island (2026)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- Median Accountant salary in Rhode Island: $90,040 nominal, $88,218 real (BEA RPP basis).
- Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
- P25-P75 spread runs $74,470 to $112,090; P10 floor $58,970, P90 ceiling $145,290.
- On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #7 of 51; nominal rank is #7.
Wage breakdown — Rhode Island
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $58,970 | $57,777 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $74,470 | $72,963 |
| P50 (median) | $90,040 | $88,218 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $112,090 | $109,822 |
| P90 (top tier) | $145,290 | $142,350 |
| Mean | $97,210 | $95,243 |
| Employment | 5,980 Accountants in Rhode Island | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Rhode Island index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 102.1 |
| Goods | 98.3 |
| Services | 145.1 |
| Rents | 102.7 |
Rhode Island's overall RPP (102.1) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.
After-tax take-home — Rhode Island (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (Accountant) | $90,040 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$11,056 | 12.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$3,001 | 3.75–5.99% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$6,888 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $69,095 | 76.7% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $67,697 | ÷ (102.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Rhode Island state-tax burden means for Accountant take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.3% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $69,095 (76.7% of gross). After the 102.1 RPP, real take-home is $67,697.
Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).
National context
Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $81,680 for Accountants with mean pay of $93,520 and total employment of 1,448,290. Rhode Island sits at #7 on nominal pay and #7 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. Nominal and real ranking are the same — cost of living and pay scale together.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Accountants does Rhode Island employ?
- BLS OES counts 5,980 Accountants employed in Rhode Island in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
- Why is the BEA RPP for Rhode Island different from a single CPI number?
- BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Rhode Island's overall index of 102.1 reflects rents 102.7, services 145.1, and goods 98.3.
- Where does Rhode Island rank for Accountant pay?
- On nominal BLS wages alone, Rhode Island ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
- What are the limits of these Accountant salary numbers?
- BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.
- Does CPA licensure raise accountant pay in Rhode Island?
- BLS aggregates accountants and auditors under SOC 13-2011 — CPA-licensed and non-CPA pay are not split. In practice, CPA-licensed accountants in Rhode Island typically earn 10-20% above the all-accountant median, and the gap widens at the senior/manager level where CPA is functionally required for partner-track public accounting and CFO roles. Rhode Island requires 150 semester hours of education to sit for the exam (the AICPA Uniform CPA standard).
- Public accounting vs industry vs government in Rhode Island — which pays more?
- Public accounting (Big 4 / regional firm audit + tax) typically pays 10-15% below industry corporate-accountant pay at the staff/senior level, then crosses over at manager and above as billable-hour leverage compounds. Government accountants in {state} (state DOR, federal IRS/GAO, municipal) usually trail both private paths on base pay but lead on pension and job security. Industry controller/CFO-track roles in {state} push toward the BLS P75-P90 band.
- Is busy season ($35K of overtime) included in Rhode Island accountant BLS figures?
- Yes — BLS OES uses annualized W-2 earnings, so January-April busy-season overtime is rolled into the median. The high P90 in public-accounting-heavy Rhode Island markets reflects busy-season hours plus year-end bonuses. Industry accountants typically have flatter hours and a lower P90 ceiling but more predictable totals.
Sources & methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 13-2011, 2024 reference period.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
- Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
- See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.
Cross-comparison: see how Rhode Island Accountant pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.