Electrician · Rhode Island · SOC 47-2111
Electrician 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 Electrician salary in Rhode Island: $70,160 nominal, $68,741 real (BEA RPP basis).
- Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
- Wage envelope: $42,280 (P10) to $103,880 (P90), with quartiles at $47,530 and $88,630.
- Nominal: #17/51 · Real: #23/51 — ranking shifts by 6 positions after RPP.
Wage breakdown — Rhode Island
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $42,280 | $41,425 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $47,530 | $46,568 |
| P50 (median) | $70,160 | $68,741 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $88,630 | $86,837 |
| P90 (top tier) | $103,880 | $101,778 |
| Mean | $70,760 | $69,328 |
| Employment | 2,300 Electricians 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 (Electrician) | $70,160 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$6,682 | 9.5% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$2,235 | 3.75–5.99% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$5,367 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $55,875 | 79.6% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $54,745 | ÷ (102.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Rhode Island state-tax burden means for Electrician take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.2% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $55,875 (79.6% of gross). After the 102.1 RPP, real take-home is $54,745.
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 $62,350 for Electricians with mean pay of $69,630 and total employment of 742,580. Rhode Island sits at #17 on nominal pay and #23 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Rhode Island falls 6 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an Electrician make in Rhode Island?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $70,160 for Electricians in Rhode Island as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $47,530 and the 75th-percentile is $88,630.
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) Electrician salary in Rhode Island?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 102.1 for Rhode Island), the real-wage equivalent is $68,741 — what the $70,160 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $46,568 to $86,837.
- How are Rhode Island Electrician salaries calculated on this page?
- Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
- How many Electricians does Rhode Island employ?
- BLS OES counts 2,300 Electricians 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.
- How much do journeyman vs master electricians earn in Rhode Island?
- Master electrician status (typically 4+ years post-journeyman plus state exam) commands a 15-25% premium over journeyman pay in most Rhode Island markets. Master licensure also enables business ownership and permit-pulling — the income upside compounds via owner-operator scenarios.
- How long is the electrician apprenticeship in Rhode Island?
- Rhode Island typically requires 4 years (8,000 hours) of supervised on-the-job training plus classroom hours before the journeyman exam. Apprenticeship pay starts at roughly 40-50% of journeyman scale and steps up annually. Many Rhode Island apprentices reach full journeyman pay 5-6 years after starting.
Sources & methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 47-2111, 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 Electrician 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.