Rhode Island (RI)
Login To Save ThisState Economic & Immigration Overview
An automated macro-level review of Rhode Island's tech ecosystem.Overall Rhode Island Rating
Federal records show 241 total work visa filings for Rhode Island. When we look at local wages and job availability, the region gets an official H1B Index Rating of "C".
Consistent Job Creation
Local employers maintain a highly stable hiring approach. The state's visa volume evenly splits between brand-new hires (53.5%) and transferring talent (46.5%).
Actual Take-Home Value
While the $113,104 median pay is competitive, local deductions apply. Factoring in the 5.0% state income tax and regional pricing, professionals realize a true spending power of about $107,449.
Reliable Visa Process
If you want a stable career path, Rhode Island is a great option. Companies successfully get 99.2% of their work visas approved, alongside 101 active Green Card sponsorships.
Balanced Corporate Ecosystem
The corporate ecosystem here supports both junior and senior talent. A standard 29.9% of all visa applications secure top-tier, fully competent professional workers.
Main Employment Hub
If you are moving to Rhode Island, Providence is the most active city for securing a work visa. Overall, the Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services industry provides the majority of these positions.
Layoff Radar & Risk Indicators
Top Metro Hubs in Rhode Island
Hiring volume across major cities mapped against the state baseline compensation rate of $113,104.Talent Sourcing Pipeline
Are companies hiring fresh talent or poaching from competitors?State Wage Premium
On average, employers in Rhode Island offer salaries that are $3,592 higher than the baseline prevailing wage required by the Department of Labor.
10-Year Salary Trends
Comparing state-level base compensation growth for temporary H-1B visas versus permanent Green Cards (PERM).Top Hiring Employers
Companies sponsoring the most visas in this state.O*NET Wage Level Distribution
Experience requirements matched against pay tiers across the state.| Experience Level | Total Filings | Cohort Size | Minimum Base | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (Level I) | 32 | 13.3% | $55,000 | $82,629 |
| Qualified (Level II) | 119 | 49.4% | $72,449 | $109,512 |
| Experienced (Level III) | 38 | 15.8% | $77,062 | $134,253 |
| Fully Competent (Level IV) | 34 | 14.1% | $115,253 | $147,680 |
| Not Disclosed (Blank) | 18 | 7.5% | $31,200 | $119,745 |
Geographic Deployment & Worksites
The top locations where state employers place their workers.| City/Metro Area | Workforce % | City Median Pay | Wage (Level IV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence, RI | 28.2% (68 Filings) | $93,600 | 4.4% |
| Smithfield, RI | 25.3% (61 Filings) | $120,058 | 27.9% |
| Woonsocket, RI | 16.6% (40 Filings) | $110,000 | 15.0% |
| Johnston, RI | 7.9% (19 Filings) | $119,920 | 10.5% |
| Cumberland, RI | 5.8% (14 Filings) | $128,586 | 7.1% |
| East Providence, RI | 2.1% (5 Filings) | $115,253 | 40.0% |
| Warwick, RI | 2.1% (5 Filings) | $175,033 | 20.0% |
| Kingston, RI | 2.1% (5 Filings) | $62,941 | 0.0% |
| Lincoln, RI | 1.7% (4 Filings) | $137,696 | 25.0% |
| Cranston, RI | 1.2% (3 Filings) | $90,418 | 0.0% |
| Riverside, RI | 1.2% (3 Filings) | $139,984 | 0.0% |
| West Greenwich, RI | 1.2% (3 Filings) | $119,500 | 0.0% |
| North Providence, RI | 0.8% (2 Filings) | $85,500 | 0.0% |
| Coventry, RI | 0.4% (1 Filings) | $115,000 | 0.0% |
| East Greenwich, RI | 0.4% (1 Filings) | $170,000 | 0.0% |
| Pawtucket,, RI | 0.4% (1 Filings) | $73,632 | 0.0% |
| Pawtucket, RI | 0.4% (1 Filings) | $140,000 | 0.0% |
| North Smithfield, RI | 0.4% (1 Filings) | $181,900 | 100.0% |
| Providence,, RI | 0.4% (1 Filings) | $73,632 | 0.0% |
| Rumford, RI | 0.4% (1 Filings) | $74,000 | 0.0% |
| Wakefield, RI | 0.4% (1 Filings) | $179,279 | 0.0% |
| West Kingston,, RI | 0.4% (1 Filings) | $73,632 | 0.0% |
Most Poached Roles
Roles with the highest volume of H-1B transfers, indicating aggressive headhunting.Dominant Industries
Distribution of cases by broad industry sector.Historical Retention Rate
Year-over-year percentage of successful visa renewals and extensions.Top Third-Party End Clients i
Where consultants are deployed.Highest Compensation Roles i
Top positions ranked by median base pay.Law Firms & Third-Party Work i
Leading legal counsel for visas.
Visa Volume & Success
-82.3% YoY Decline
LCA approvals, denials, and overall certification rates.
USCIS Petition Processing
New vs. Renewed approvals and denials in the state.Green Card Sponsorships
PERM residency applications and median GC wages.Noticing a difference in dates? Salary metrics reflect real-time DOL filings, while approval metrics rely on finalized USCIS historical data. View timelines
Complete Employers Matrix
A detailed ledger of all corporate clients operating in Rhode Island.Complete Jobs Matrix
The job titles most frequently sponsored in this state.| Job Title in State | LCA Count | Median Pay | Salary Variance | Legal Wage Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | 12 | $110,120 | $24,488 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Database Administrator | 5 | $86,320 | $33,680 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Sr Software Development Engineer | 5 | $137,251 | $19,782 Range | +$27,739 Over Min |
| Senior Data Engineer | 4 | $120,058 | $12,603 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Data Engineer | 4 | $119,279 | $39,125 Range | +$9,767 Over Min |
| Bachelor'S Level Music Therapist | 4 | $62,941 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Software Engineer | 4 | $123,623 | $28,184 Range | +$4,574 Over Min |
| Senior Software Developer | 4 | $128,586 | $19,074 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Senior Software Engineer | 4 | $141,768 | $21,414 Range | +$22,719 Over Min |
| Project Manager | 3 | $55,141 | $21,112 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Occupational Therapist | 3 | $73,632 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Senior Software Engineer/Developer | 3 | $109,512 | $15,517 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Software Engineer In Test | 3 | $102,250 | $23,525 Range | +$16,263 Over Min |
| Sr Research Associate In Molecular Bio, Cell Bio, & Biochem | 3 | $75,837 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Principal Systems Analyst | 3 | $119,745 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Advanced Software Developer | 3 | $130,707 | $6,386 Range | +$2,122 Over Min |
| Staff Software Development Engineer | 3 | $163,628 | $30,495 Range | +$35,042 Over Min |
| Test Automation Engineer | 3 | $86,000 | $4,000 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Director, Architecture | 2 | $162,906 | $30,451 Range | +$15,226 Over Min |
| Director, Advanced Data Analytics And Insights | 2 | $161,803 | Fixed Pay | +$20,238 Over Min |
| Senior Oracle Dba Consultant | 2 | $109,550 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Senior Technical Lead | 2 | $102,998 | $14,004 Range | +$8,992 Over Min |
| Sap Consultant | 2 | $109,512 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Postdoc Research Assoc In Molecular Bio, Cell Bio, & Biochem | 2 | $65,060 | $3,880 Range | +$5,102 Over Min |
| Director, Software Engineering | 2 | $153,327 | $11,294 Range | +$5,647 Over Min |
| Staff Data Engineer | 2 | $170,000 | Fixed Pay | +$22,320 Over Min |
| Sr Mgr Jc45-Software Quality Assurance Analysts And Testers | 2 | $115,253 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Therapist | 2 | $87,422 | $12,355 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Technology Consultant 2 | 2 | $76,253 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Postdoctoral Research Associate In Applied Mathematics | 2 | $66,820 | $2,360 Range | +$4,262 Over Min |
| Postdoctoral Research Associate In Computer Science | 2 | $85,698 | Fixed Pay | +$17,441 Over Min |
| Principal Data Engineer | 2 | $141,952 | $11,457 Range | +$3,582 Over Min |
| Sr Research Associate In Molecular Microbiology & Immunology | 2 | $75,837 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Sr Database Developer | 2 | $137,000 | Fixed Pay | +$27,488 Over Min |
| Software Engineer (Applications): Android | 2 | $197,380 | $34,760 Range | +$67,692 Over Min |
| Senior Sql Server Dba | 2 | $123,118 | $36 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Assistant Professor Of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology | 2 | $114,735 | Fixed Pay | +$33,992 Over Min |
| Developer | 2 | $85,592 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Director, Product Management | 1 | $147,680 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Director, Full Stack Engineering | 1 | $158,974 | Fixed Pay | +$11,294 Over Min |
Historical Compensation Ledger
Year-over-year salary data comparing historical averages.| Fiscal Year | YoY Growth | Maximum | Median | Top-Heavy Skew i | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | In Progress | $273,000 | $109,520 | Balanced | $30.00/hr |
| 2025 | +7.1% | $400,000 | $110,406 | Balanced | $20.00/hr |
| 2024 | -0.9% | $400,000 | $103,065 | Balanced | $23.00/hr |
| 2023 | +5.4% | $400,000 | $104,000 | Balanced | $21.00/hr |
| 2022 | +7.3% | $400,000 | $98,672 | Balanced | $17.00/hr |
| 2021 | +2.3% | $360,000 | $92,000 | Balanced | $14.00/hr |
| 2020 | +9.7% | $340,000 | $89,959 | Balanced | $17.00/hr |
| 2019 | +2.5% | $325,000 | $82,000 | -5.4% Skew | $21.00/hr |
| 2018 | +9.5% | $325,000 | $80,000 | +5.6% Skew | $16.00/hr |
| 2017 | +1.4% | $310,000 | $73,035 | +8.7% Skew | $15.00/hr |
| 2016 | N/A | $310,000 | $72,000 | +10.7% Skew | $8.00/hr |
Recent Visa Filings (FY 2026)
Raw, unedited federal disclosures processed in this state.State Intelligence (FAQ)
Common questions and insights regarding Rhode Island.Do employers in Rhode Island offer permanent residency?
There is an active pathway to permanent residency here. Employers recently submitted 101 PERM applications, establishing a 41.9% Green Card rate.
How much state tax will I pay on an H-1B salary in Rhode Island?
The state income tax is estimated at 5.0%. Earning the median salary of $113,104 means paying around $5,655 in local taxes.
What is the best-paying market in Rhode Island?
Providence offers the highest salaries across the state, reflecting a median base pay of $93,600.
Which industry hires the most foreign workers in Rhode Island?
In this state, 40.7% of all active H-1B visas are driven directly by the Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services sector.