Rhode Island RN Salary - How Much Do RNs Make in RI?

In May 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the average RN salary in Rhode Island was $74,080. This is equivalent to about $35.62 per hour. This state employed 11,570 registered nurses at the time when this information was recorded. RNs in Rhode Island with earnings in the 75th percentile made more than $86,610, while those in the 90th percentile earned over $94,040. The median salary for RNs here was $74,280, which is only marginally higher than the average. Registered nurses with salaries in the 25th percentile made less than $62,830, while those with earnings in the 10th percentile earned under $53,360.

Though the average RN salary in Rhode Island is higher than the national average, this is more than offset by the increased cost of living here. The cost of living in this state is about 26 percent higher than the national average. This indicates that RNs here would need to make much more than in other parts of the country to sustain the same quality of life. Though the outlook for RN jobs nationally is positive, Rhode Island has a high unemployment rate of 8.7 percent.The majority of registered nurses in this state work in the Providence-Fall-River-Warwick area, which also encompasses parts of Massachusetts. This area employed 13,600 registered nurses in 2018. Earnings here were slightly lower than the average RN salary in Rhode Island at $73,700. RNs with earnings in the 75th percentile made more than $86,650. Those in the 90th percentile earned over $94,720. RNs with salaries in the 25th percentile made under $61,850, and those in the tenth percentile earned less than $52,500 per year. The cost of living in this area is 3.7 percent above the national average, but about 22 percent lower than the cost of living of the state overall.

Registered nurses in Rhode Island, like those anywhere else, are able to influence their earning potential by continuing education and becoming more experienced in the field. Nurses can also specialize in areas such as oncology or critical care in order to earn higher salaries in the future. This additional credential might make these nurses more marketable and lead to higher salaries.

Resources

  • https://meric.mo.gov/data/cost-living-data-series
  • https://www.forbes.com/places/ri/providence/