How Much Does an LPN Make in Rhode Island in 2026?

A typical LPN in Rhode Island earns about $38.51 per hour, or $80,090 per year, per the latest government wage data (May 2025). Calculated from that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $6,674 a month. On a weekly basis, that comes to about $1,540. Those figures cover LPNs working across hospitals, nursing homes, and other care settings statewide.

That pay sits 24% above the national typical of $64,400 a year (about $30.96 an hour) for LPNs, and it places Rhode Island 5th out of all 51 states. Only a handful of states pay practical nurses more. Rhode Island's LPN workforce is comparatively small, with about 1,290 people working in the role statewide, reflecting the state's compact size rather than the strength of its pay.

Entry-level positions in Rhode Island typically offer around $31.56 an hour, or about $65,650 a year, for LPNs just starting out. That's the range most new practical nurses can expect in their first roles, often in nursing homes or smaller clinics. Pay typically moves toward the statewide typical figure of $80,090 within a few years of steady experience.

Experienced LPNs in Rhode Island often earn upwards of $45.45 an hour, and the top 10% of earners make over $94,540 a year. That leaves a spread of $28,890 between entry-level and top pay in the state. Setting matters here: hospitals and specialty care facilities tend to pay more than smaller clinics, and pay in Providence and Warwick tends to run higher than in less populated parts of the state.

Rhode Island LPN pay has climbed steadily over the past decade, from $55,730 in 2015 to $80,090 in 2025. That's a gain of $24,360, or 44%, over ten years. The steepest jump came between 2022 and 2023, when typical pay rose from $62,810 to $76,840 in a single year.

Nationally, LPN pay rose 49% over the same decade, a slightly faster pace than Rhode Island's climb. Even so, Rhode Island's typical pay remains well above the national figure today. For someone starting an LPN career now, the trend shows pay has moved up steadily in recent years, though past growth is no guarantee of future gains.

Pay for LPNs is fairly uniform across Rhode Island's two largest metro areas. Providence, the state's most populous city and home to its largest LPN workforce with about 2,540 workers, reports a typical $78,990 a year ($37.98 an hour), just slightly below the statewide typical of $80,090. Warwick, part of the same metro area, reports identical figures.

With a city spread of just $0, location within Rhode Island makes little difference to LPN pay; both cities report figures for their full metro areas, not just city limits. That's different from larger states, where wide cost-of-living gaps between cities can push pay up or down significantly. In Rhode Island, an LPN's paycheck depends far more on employer and setting than on which city they work in.

Rhode Island's LPN pay compares closely with its neighbors. Massachusetts reports a typical $80,220 a year, essentially matching Rhode Island's figure. Connecticut pays less, with a typical $73,690 a year, about 8% below Rhode Island. LPN licenses can often be transferred or endorsed between neighboring states, which can widen job options for practical nurses willing to consider a short commute across state lines.

LPNs in Rhode Island typically earn $80,090 a year, well above the national figure, after a decade of steady gains that lifted pay 44% since 2015. Anyone considering the role should check Rhode Island's board of nursing page for current licensing requirements, and review city-specific pages for local pay figures in Providence, Warwick, and beyond.