How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Rhode Island in 2026?

A typical Physician Assistant in Rhode Island earns about $67.27 per hour, or $139,930 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Calculated from that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $11,661 a month and $2,691 a week. These figures represent typical pay across the state, not what a new PA earns starting out or what the most experienced ones make.

Rhode Island's typical pay runs 3% above the national figure of $135,880 for Physician Assistants, according to the same May 2025 data. That places Rhode Island 13th among all 51 states and the District of Columbia. Roughly 810 Physician Assistants work in Rhode Island, compared with 162,150 nationwide, giving a sense of scale for a small state with a sizable clinical workforce.

Entry-level Physician Assistants in Rhode Island typically start around $47.48 an hour, or about $98,760 a year, based on the May 2025 wage data. That's the range reported for the lowest-paid 10% of the field in the state. Pay tends to move toward the state's typical $139,930 figure within the first several years of practice, as new PAs gain clinical experience and take on more responsibility.

Experienced Physician Assistants in Rhode Island often earn upwards of $167,710 a year, the level reported for the top quarter of earners. The top 10% make over $200,030, putting the spread between entry-level and the highest earners at $101,270. Setting, years of experience, and which city a PA works in all factor into where someone falls along that range.

Rhode Island's typical Physician Assistant pay has risen from $108,720 in 2015 to $139,930 in 2025, a gain of $31,210. That amounts to a 29% increase over the decade, tracked through the latest government wage data. Pay didn't move in a straight line each year, but the overall decade direction was clearly upward.

Nationally, Physician Assistant pay climbed 38% over the same ten years, a faster pace than Rhode Island's rise. That national trend shows PA pay increasing broadly across the country, not just locally. Someone starting a PA career in Rhode Island today enters a field where pay has moved up substantially over the past decade, though past growth is no guarantee of future gains.

Pay for Physician Assistants is fairly uniform across Rhode Island. Providence and Warwick, the state's only two reported metro areas, both post a typical annual wage of $139,930, exactly matching the statewide figure. Providence carries the largest reported Physician Assistant workforce in the state, with about 950 professionals.

Warwick, the state's other reported metro area, matches Providence's wage exactly, leaving a city spread of $0. That kind of flat pay picture is unusual and reflects how few metro areas Rhode Island's small size produces in the wage data. Figures for both cities cover their full metro areas, and Rhode Island's higher-than-average cost of living, particularly near Providence, is one reason pay here runs above many other states.

Rhode Island's typical Physician Assistant pay sits close to its neighbors. Massachusetts pays somewhat more, at $142,410 a year, about 2% higher than Rhode Island. Connecticut is essentially even, at $139,860, less than 1% apart. Physician Assistants considering a move across state lines can often transfer or endorse their license into a neighboring state rather than starting the credentialing process from scratch.

Rhode Island Physician Assistants typically earn $139,930 a year today, up 29% over the past decade from $108,720 in 2015. Pay here runs slightly above the national figure and close to neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut. For requirements specific to practicing in the state, check Rhode Island's physician assistant licensing and registry page; for local figures, see the Providence and Warwick city pages.