Financial Advisor · Rhode Island · SOC 13-2052
2026 Financial Advisor Pay in Rhode Island: BLS Median + Real Take-Home
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-08.
TL;DR
- Median Financial Advisor salary in Rhode Island: $100,880 nominal, $98,839 real (BEA RPP basis).
- P25-P75 spread runs $67,490 to $159,990; P10 floor $53,470, P90 ceiling $206,300.
- Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
- Financial Advisor ranking: #15 on the BLS table, #20 once cost of living is in.
Wage breakdown — Rhode Island
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $53,470 | $52,388 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $67,490 | $66,125 |
| P50 (median) | $100,880 | $98,839 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $159,990 | $156,753 |
| P90 (top tier) | $206,300 | $202,126 |
| Mean | $118,310 | $115,916 |
| Employment | 1,290 Financial Advisors 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 (Financial Advisor) | $100,880 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$13,441 | 13.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$3,516 | 3.75–5.99% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$7,717 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $76,206 | 75.5% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $74,664 | ÷ (102.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Rhode Island state-tax burden means for Financial Advisor take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.5% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $76,206 (75.5% of gross). After the 102.1 RPP, real take-home is $74,664.
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 $102,140 for Financial Advisors with mean pay of $160,210 and total employment of 270,480. Rhode Island sits at #15 on nominal pay and #20 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Rhode Island falls 5 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) Financial Advisor salary in Rhode Island?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 102.1 for Rhode Island), the real-wage equivalent is $98,839 — what the $100,880 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $66,125 to $156,753.
- What does the top of the Financial Advisor pay scale look like in Rhode Island?
- The 90th percentile lands at $206,300. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $159,990.
- 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 wide is the wage spread in Rhode Island?
- P10 to P90 spans $53,470 to $206,300. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
- What are the limits of these Financial Advisor 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.
- Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Rhode Island?
- The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Rhode Island.
- Wirehouse W-2 vs independent RIA principal vs hybrid in Rhode Island?
- BLS reports W-2 wages under SOC 13-2052, capturing wirehouse advisors (Merrill, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Wells Fargo Advisors) and bank-channel advisors directly. Independent RIA principals — increasingly the dominant model in Rhode Island — operate as business owners taking K-1 partnership distributions and ownership equity, which are EXCLUDED from BLS. Hybrid RIAs (independent + insurance B/D affiliation) have mixed reporting. Net effect: the BLS figure on this page accurately represents employed wirehouse advisors and bank-channel reps; it materially understates total income for established RIA principals in Rhode Island once practice equity and distributions are factored in.
Sources & methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 13-2052, 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 Financial Advisor 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.