Software Developers salary in Rhode Island

Software Developers in Rhode Island earned a median of $128,660 in 2024, about 7% below the US median of $138,520. That gap is narrower than it looks in cost-of-living terms: Rhode Island's overall price index sits right at the national baseline, so the nominal difference is the real difference. A developer here takes home roughly $10,000 less per year than the typical peer nationwide, no adjustment needed.

The spread within the state is wide. The 10th percentile earned $82,630 while the 90th reached $168,020, a range of about $85,000 from bottom to top. A developer near the start of their career earns roughly half what a senior peer does. That kind of spread usually reflects meaningful differences in specialization, seniority, and the types of companies doing the hiring.

One unusual detail: the mean wage of $126,810 sits below the median of $128,660. That pattern runs opposite to most professional occupations, where a smaller group of very high earners pulls the average above the middle. Here, the spread compresses near the top, and the very bottom earners bring the mean down slightly. With only 6,010 Software Developers employed statewide, a relatively small number of lower-paid roles is enough to move the average.

BLS projects this occupation to grow 15.8% between 2024 and 2034, a rate it classifies as much faster than average. Rhode Island's employment base is small enough that even moderate national demand trends translate into noticeable local hiring pressure over a ten-year window.