Software Developers salary in Providence, Rhode Island

About 5,880 Software Developers work in the Providence metro, which is a meaningful concentration for a state Rhode Island's size. The median annual wage in 2024 was $132,010, roughly 2.6% above the Rhode Island median of $128,660 but about 4.7% below the national median of $138,520.

That gap with the national figure is worth naming. Providence pays more than what most Rhode Island employers offer in this role, yet it trails the US benchmark by around $6,500. Developers here earn more than their in-state peers, but less than the typical developer across the country.

The spread within the metro tells a fuller story. At the 10th percentile, wages start at $82,670. At the 90th, they reach $172,750. Top earners make about twice what those at the bottom of the range do, which points to real variation by experience level and specialty within Providence. Entry-level positions pull wages down on one end while senior roles push them up on the other.

One detail worth noting: the mean annual wage of $128,780 sits below the median of $132,010. In most metro areas we track, the mean runs higher because a smaller group of very high earners pulls it up. Here it runs lower, which suggests fewer outlier salaries at the top end compared to what BLS records in larger tech markets.