How much does an RN make in Rhode Island?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $99,960 for RNs 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 $83,870 and the 75th-percentile is $112,540.

What is the real (cost-adjusted) RN salary in Rhode Island?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 102.1 for Rhode Island), the real-wage equivalent is $97,938 — what the $99,960 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $82,173 to $110,263.

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 RN 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.

Is Rhode Island a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for RNs?

No — Rhode Island's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.

Is Rhode Island an NLC compact state for RN licensure?

No — Rhode Island is not an NLC compact member as of the most recent NCSBN list. RNs moving to Rhode Island need to apply for a Rhode Island-issued license through endorsement; an NLC multistate license alone is not sufficient.

Travel RN vs staff RN in Rhode Island — which earns more on a real basis?

Travel RN gross weekly is usually higher, but the real comparison nets out housing stipends (which are tax-advantaged but state-dependent), per-diem premiums, and the lack of staff-side benefits and pension accrual. In Rhode Island, the real-wage gap is narrower than the headline contract numbers suggest.

Rhode Island Registered Nurse Salary: BLS $100K Median, Real $98K (2026)

TL;DR

$99,960 is the BLS median wage for RNs in Rhode Island; $97,938 is the BEA-adjusted purchasing-power equivalent.
BEA RPP near 100 means nominal pay translates almost 1:1 into real take-home.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $72,090 · P25 $83,870 · P75 $112,540 · P90 $128,520.
Non-compact: Rhode Island requires its own RN license; an NLC multistate license alone is not enough to practice.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #8 of 51; nominal rank is #13.

Wage breakdown — Rhode Island

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$72,090	$70,631
P25 (lower quartile)	$83,870	$82,173
P50 (median)	$99,960	$97,938
P75 (upper quartile)	$112,540	$110,263
P90 (top tier)	$128,520	$125,920
Mean	$99,770	$97,751
Employment	10,760 RNs 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 (RN)	$99,960	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$13,238	13.2% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$3,472	3.75–5.99% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$7,647	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$75,602	75.6% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$74,073	÷ (102.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Rhode Island state-tax burden means for RN take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.5% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $75,602 (75.6% of gross). After the 102.1 RPP, real take-home is $74,073.

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 $93,600 for RNs with mean pay of $98,430 and total employment of 3,282,010. Rhode Island sits at #13 on nominal pay and #8 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Rhode Island climbs 5 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Licensure — Rhode Island (NLC)

Rhode Island is not currently a NLC member. RNs moving to Rhode Island must apply for a Rhode Island-issued license through endorsement; a multistate license from a Compact state alone is not sufficient. Endorsement timelines and fees are set by the Rhode Island Board of Nursing.

Legislative status (2026-05): Bill 2023-H 5403 introduced; not advancing.

Source: NCSBN compact implementation tracker — re-synced quarterly. See NLC reciprocity hub for the cross-state matrix and changelog for status changes.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an RN make in Rhode Island?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $99,960 for RNs 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 $83,870 and the 75th-percentile is $112,540.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) RN salary in Rhode Island?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 102.1 for Rhode Island), the real-wage equivalent is $97,938 — what the $99,960 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $82,173 to $110,263.
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 RN 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.
Is Rhode Island a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for RNs?: No — Rhode Island's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
Is Rhode Island an NLC compact state for RN licensure?: No — Rhode Island is not an NLC compact member as of the most recent NCSBN list. RNs moving to Rhode Island need to apply for a Rhode Island-issued license through endorsement; an NLC multistate license alone is not sufficient.
Travel RN vs staff RN in Rhode Island — which earns more on a real basis?: Travel RN gross weekly is usually higher, but the real comparison nets out housing stipends (which are tax-advantaged but state-dependent), per-diem premiums, and the lack of staff-side benefits and pension accrual. In Rhode Island, the real-wage gap is narrower than the headline contract numbers suggest.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 29-1141, 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.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how Rhode Island RN 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.