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

A typical registered nurse in Rhode Island earns about $48.39 per hour, or $100,640 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Calculated from that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $8,387 a month and $1,935 a week. This is pay for someone in the middle of the range, not the starting wage or the pay of the highest earners in the field.

Rhode Island's typical RN pay runs 3% above the national figure of $97,550 a year, based on the same May 2025 data. That places the state 13th among all 51 states and jurisdictions ranked. About 10,090 registered nurses work in Rhode Island, compared with 3,379,720 nationwide, a workforce size worth keeping in mind when comparing these figures.

Entry-level positions in Rhode Island typically offer around $37.22 an hour, or about $77,410 a year. Pay tends to rise toward the state's typical figure of $100,640 within a few years of experience. New RNs should expect these starting figures rather than the typical pay right away, since pay climbs steadily with time on the job.

Experienced RNs in Rhode Island often earn upwards of $107,100 a year, and the top 10% of earners make over $62.42 an hour, or $129,840 a year. That puts the spread between entry-level and top pay at $52,430 a year. Setting, years of experience, and the specific city a nurse works in all tend to separate the higher earners from those just starting out.

Rhode Island's typical RN pay has climbed from $76,300 in 2015 to $100,640 in 2025, a gain of $24,340. That is a rise of 32% over the decade, tracked using the latest government wage data. The increase reflects overall pay growth in the state over that ten-year period.

Nationally, RN pay rose 45% over the same ten years, a faster pace than Rhode Island's climb. Pay in the state has moved up steadily rather than in a single jump. Someone starting a nursing career now enters a field where pay has trended higher over time, though past gains are no guarantee of future ones.

Registered nurse pay in Rhode Island is fairly uniform across the state's largest metro areas. Both the Providence and Warwick metro areas, which together cover most of the state, report the same typical pay: $99,880 a year, or $48.02 an hour. That figure sits close to, though slightly below, the statewide typical pay of $100,640.

The spread between Providence and Warwick is $0, since both metro areas report identical typical pay of $99,880. Providence carries the larger RN workforce, with about 15,180 nurses in that metro area, making it the state's employment center for the profession. Pay differences between cities usually track local living costs, though in Rhode Island's case the two largest metro areas show almost no gap.

Rhode Island's RN pay trails both of its neighbors. Massachusetts pays about $104,550 a year, 4% higher than Rhode Island, while Connecticut pays about $102,740, 2% higher. The gap with each state is modest rather than dramatic. Nursing licenses can often be endorsed or transferred between neighboring states, which makes comparing pay across a state line a practical option for someone weighing where to work.

Registered nurses in Rhode Island typically earn $100,640 a year, a figure that has risen 32% over the past decade. Pay is fairly consistent across the state's metro areas, and nurses considering a move should check neighboring states for comparison. Anyone weighing this career path can find licensing and registration requirements through the Rhode Island Board of Nursing, and local pay figures for specific cities on this site's city pages.