Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
Across all occupations in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metropolitan area, the median wage is $53,680 a year ($25.81 an hour) and the mean $69,290, May 2025. That median is +5% against the US median of $50,980 and −5% against Rhode Island's $56,780. BLS counts 714,120 jobs in the area, which spans Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The highest-paying occupation is emergency medicine physicians; the largest is fast food and counter workers.
All occupations: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA vs Rhode Island and Massachusetts and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | Hourly | $16.04 | $18.65 | $25.81 | $39.35 | $58.65 | $33.31 | 714,120 |
| Annual | $33,360 | $38,800 | $53,680 | $81,840 | $121,980 | $69,290 | ||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $15.61 | $19.12 | $27.30 | $40.96 | $61.60 | $34.57 | 501,340 |
| Annual | $32,470 | $39,780 | $56,780 | $85,200 | $128,120 | $71,900 | ||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $17.47 | $21.51 | $30.57 | $49.32 | $78.37 | $41.16 | 3,637,650 |
| Annual | $36,330 | $44,730 | $63,590 | $102,580 | $163,010 | $85,610 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
600 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profiles: Rhode Island, Massachusetts. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $476,890 | $229.28 | 300 |
| 2 | Radiologists | $448,040 | $215.40 | ** |
| 3 | Family Medicine Physicians | $438,290 | $210.72 | 310 |
| 4 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $399,020 | $191.84 | 200 |
| 5 | Cardiologists | $395,610 | $190.20 | 100 |
| 6 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $379,490 | $182.45 | 330 |
| 7 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $377,990 | $181.73 | ** |
| 8 | Surgeons, All Other | $346,340 | $166.51 | 60 |
| 9 | Physicians, Pathologists | $319,880 | $153.79 | ** |
| 10 | Psychiatrists | $287,610 | $138.28 | 290 |
| 11 | Chief Executives | $243,620 | $117.13 | 650 |
| 12 | Physicians, All Other | $234,000 | $112.50 | 1,290 |
| 13 | Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $229,760 | $110.46 | 150 |
| 14 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $227,120 | $109.19 | 160 |
| 15 | Pediatricians, General | $218,080 | $104.85 | 280 |
| 16 | Physical Scientists, All Other | $180,470 | $86.77 | 70 |
| 17 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $172,640 | $83.00 | 620 |
| 18 | Dentists, General | $172,310 | $82.84 | 580 |
| 19 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $171,220 | $82.32 | 1,600 |
| 20 | Financial Managers | $167,570 | $80.56 | 3,280 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
Most concentrated occupations in Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathematicians | 10.24 | 100 | 0.13 | $109,260 |
| 2 | Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders | 10.10 | 250 | 0.35 | $45,930 |
| 3 | Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | 6.89 | 710 | 0.99 | $48,800 |
| 4 | Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 4.99 | 300 | 0.42 | $39,110 |
| 5 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | 4.92 | 200 | 0.28 | $399,020 |
| 6 | Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians | 4.69 | 500 | 0.70 | $59,170 |
| 7 | School Bus Monitors | 4.18 | 1,510 | 2.11 | $35,910 |
| 8 | Fence Erectors | 3.98 | 450 | 0.63 | $46,450 |
| 9 | Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 3.64 | 540 | 0.76 | $38,740 |
| 10 | Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 3.20 | 320 | 0.45 | $38,350 |
Occupation groups in Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $124,810 | $143,070 | 44,980 | 62.99 | 0.88 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $104,650 | $111,820 | 17,790 | 24.91 | 0.74 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $103,290 | $109,880 | 11,860 | 16.60 | 0.99 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $93,900 | $110,420 | 47,850 | 67.01 | 1.06 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $89,040 | $96,160 | 5,440 | 7.62 | 0.80 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $85,400 | $94,940 | 46,960 | 65.76 | 0.97 |
| Legal | $80,490 | $109,190 | 5,460 | 7.65 | 0.91 |
| Construction and Extraction | $65,250 | $72,320 | 27,630 | 38.69 | 0.94 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $64,570 | $71,710 | 51,150 | 71.62 | 1.22 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $63,120 | $72,520 | 9,170 | 12.85 | 0.98 |
| Protective Service | $60,650 | $62,680 | 17,930 | 25.11 | 1.03 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $60,340 | $63,640 | 23,360 | 32.71 | 0.84 |
| Community and Social Service | $60,150 | $66,030 | 17,590 | 24.64 | 1.44 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $49,530 | $53,980 | 75,750 | 106.07 | 0.93 |
| Production | $47,830 | $52,890 | 42,640 | 59.71 | 1.08 |
| Healthcare Support | $45,260 | $45,750 | 39,580 | 55.43 | 1.09 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $44,170 | $47,510 | 54,730 | 76.64 | 0.87 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $43,530 | $44,310 | 21,470 | 30.06 | 1.03 |
| Sales and Related | $38,030 | $55,160 | 62,070 | 86.91 | 1.01 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $37,990 | $43,450 | 490 | 0.69 | 0.25 |
| Personal Care and Service | $36,970 | $43,160 | 15,960 | 22.35 | 1.07 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $35,090 | $39,680 | 74,270 | 104.01 | 1.18 |
Every occupation in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profiles. All 600 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Providence-Warwick, RI-MA estimates (area 39300).
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.
- The area spans Rhode Island and Massachusetts; its figures are the whole MSA, as BLS publishes them, under the primary state Rhode Island.