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State profile · NCES F-33 FY2023

Teacher Salary in Rhode Island

Rhode Island's top-to-bottom district pay ratio (1.40x) ranks #45 of 47, lower-third dispersion. According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available for every public school district in Rhode Island.

$89,674
Est. state avg salary

Well above benchmark

+27.7%
vs national
#5
National rank
36
Districts

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$89,674/year (est.)

Rhode Island's top-to-bottom district pay ratio (1.40x) ranks #45 of 47, lower-third dispersion. Estimated average teacher salary is $89,674, meaningfully above the national average of $70,245, ranking #5 of 49, across 34 public school districts with reliable data (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Tight district pay band: Rhode Island's top-to-bottom district pay ratio (1.40x) ranks #45 of 47, lower-third dispersion.
  • top decile nationally (#5 of 49)
  • Rhode Island ranks #5 of 49 on the salary estimate and #45 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • $31,092 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
  • #45 of 47 states for pay dispersion (narrowest decile, 1.40x top/bottom ratio)
  • +27.7% vs the national average
  • +18.0% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (balanced cohort, not the FTE average above)
  • #8 of 49 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 102.1)

The distinguishing axis

How wide is the district pay spread in Rhode Island?

Narragansett sits at $108,019 and Foster at $76,927 among reliable-salary districts. That 1.40x top-to-bottom ratio ranks #45 of 47 comparable states, in the narrowest decile.

This describes the observed F-33 distribution, not why it exists. The comparison excludes service agencies and states with fewer than five reliable district estimates; see the dispersion method.

Rhode Island purchasing-power check on upper-third pay

Rhode Island's nominal average teacher salary ranks #5 of the 49 states and territories that report teacher salaries. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2023 Regional Price Parity (102.1, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $89,206, ranking #8 of 49 , 3 places lower than the nominal rank once relative price levels are factored in. This purchasing-power view is not published by NEA's teacher-pay rankings or the aggregator sites; it comes from combining our own F-33-derived salary estimate with BEA's public RPP series. See the full 51-state release for methodology and download. BEA Regional Price Parities · NCES CCD F-33

Rhode Island in the teacher-salary distribution

FY2023 estimated state averages from the same NCES-derived ranking

$89,674 Top 10% higher than 90% of 49 reporting states and territories

Show national distribution $0–$5,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 2 reporting states and territories (4%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 6 reporting states and territories (12%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Below this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 9 reporting states and territories (18%). Below this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 7 reporting states and territories (14%). Below this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 2 reporting states and territories (4%). Below this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 reporting states and territories (8%). Below this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Below this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). This entry sits in this band. $90,000–$95,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. $115,000–$120,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $120,000–$125,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. Rhode Island $0 $125,000 reporting state salary estimates, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more reporting states and territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey; state estimates derived from reported instructional-salary expenditure and teacher FTE · FY2023

Rhode Island's comparable salary trend

Same reporting-district cohort, FY2019-FY2023

FY2023 estimated average
$103,886 18.002851748022714% vs FY2019
27 districts held in the panel
$85,000$90,000$95,000$100,000$105,000$110,000 FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023 Rhode Island est. avg teacher salary, FY2019: $88,037Rhode Island est. avg teacher salary, FY2020: $90,276Rhode Island est. avg teacher salary, FY2021: $95,745Rhode Island est. avg teacher salary, FY2022: $100,715Rhode Island est. avg teacher salary, FY2023: $103,886 $88,037 $103,886 ▲ +18.0%
Read the chart as text
Period Rhode Island est. avg teacher salary
FY2019 $88,037
FY2020 $90,276
FY2021 $95,745
FY2022 $100,715
FY2023 $103,886

Highest-paying districts in Rhode Island

Estimated average teacher salary, enrolling districts (200+ students)

Est. avg salary

What this shows Narragansett leads Rhode Island on the F-33 instructional-salary estimate. Service entities (CTCs, county offices) are excluded, their enrollment-based ratios are not reliable salary figures.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

Top 3 districts

1 $108,019

Narragansett

Est. avg teacher salary
2 $106,562

Warwick

Est. avg teacher salary
3 $105,340

Lincoln

Est. avg teacher salary

Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment Per-Pupil Exp
Narragansett $108,019 1,114 $32,057
Warwick $106,562 7,860 $26,439
Lincoln $105,340 3,261 $22,333
South Kingstown $100,515 2,489 $27,475
Barrington $99,238 3,382 $20,127
Scituate $93,541 1,193 $25,127
Providence $93,021 20,463 $29,598
West Warwick $92,850 3,491 $24,046
Bristol Warren $92,846 2,837 $24,100
Coventry $92,733 4,215 $21,936
Westerly $92,184 2,242 $30,739
Cranston $91,901 10,029 $21,933
Central Falls $91,834 2,556 $30,065
Little Compton $91,796 200 $45,050
Middletown $90,426 1,918 $25,217
North Kingstown $90,327 3,798 $22,411
Woonsocket $87,038 5,525 $24,206
Foster-Glocester $86,988 1,347 $23,093
Cumberland $86,877 4,750 $18,272
East Greenwich $86,351 2,532 $20,038
East Providence $86,260 5,152 $24,182
Chariho $86,172 3,082 $23,054
Jamestown $85,855 410 $38,366
Glocester $85,795 575 $21,490
North Smithfield $85,634 1,603 $20,397
North Providence $85,485 3,445 $22,815
Exeter-West Greenwich $84,219 1,532 $29,569
Pawtucket $84,111 7,899 $24,499
Smithfield $83,115 2,401 $20,335
Portsmouth $82,167 2,164 $22,171
Burrillville $82,166 2,045 $21,302
Tiverton $82,105 1,603 $25,817
Johnston $78,530 3,094 $24,080
Foster $76,927 221 $25,575

Specialized non-enrolling agencies (career/technical centers, county offices, service co-ops) are excluded from the salary ranking, their enrollment-based estimates are not reliable.

Lowest-Paying Districts in Rhode Island

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment
Foster $76,927 221
Johnston $78,530 3,094
Tiverton $82,105 1,603
Burrillville $82,166 2,045
Portsmouth $82,167 2,164
Smithfield $83,115 2,401
Pawtucket $84,111 7,899
Exeter-West Greenwich $84,219 1,532
North Providence $85,485 3,445
North Smithfield $85,634 1,603

Among enrolling districts (200+ students) with a reliable estimate; service entities excluded, see methodology.

Nationwide peers near Rhode Island's smaller K-12 scale

Two nationwide peer sets for Rhode Island: closest on estimated average teacher salary ($89,674 here) and closest on total student enrollment (120,689 here). Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not geographic containment.

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other states by unweighted district-mean teacher pay (F-33 derived, ≥5 districts with reliable estimates).

Similar enrollment

Nearest other states by NCES-reported K-12 enrollment. Salary peers above are excluded.

Compare Nearby-Ranked States

California
$110,546
Rank #2
Delaware
$92,029
Rank #3
New York
$89,760
Rank #4
Washington
$88,556
Rank #6

Data: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey, FY2023. Salary figures divide instructional expenditure (variable Z33) by each district's reported teacher FTE, or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure. Not individual salary data. Read our methodology.

Rhode Island teacher salary FAQ

What is the average teacher salary in Rhode Island?

Across 34 Rhode Island public school districts with reliable data, the average teacher salary is $89,674 (NCES CCD F-33 reported teacher salaries divided by CCD Staff Universe Survey teacher headcounts, FY2023). It is a district-level mean derived from finance filings, so it will not match a contract-salary survey exactly, read it as a relative comparison.

Which Rhode Island school district pays teachers the most?

Narragansett reports the highest average teacher salary in Rhode Island at $108,019, while Foster sits at the lower end at $76,927.

How does Rhode Island teacher pay compare to the national average?

Rhode Island's average of $89,674 is meaningfully above the national average of $70,245 (+27.7%), ranking #5 of the 49 jurisdictions with a reliable district estimate.

How many school districts are in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island has 36 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 120,689 students.

How much do teachers make in Rhode Island?

District-average teacher pay in Rhode Island runs from $76,927 in Foster to $108,019 in Narragansett, with 4 of 34 reliable-data districts at $100,000 or above. Where a teacher lands depends far more on which district employs them than on the statewide figure. These are district-wide averages from NCES CCD F-33 (FY2023), not individual salaries or pay-scale steps.

Can teachers earn $100,000 in Rhode Island?

4 of 34 Rhode Island districts with reliable data report an estimated average teacher salary of $100,000 or more, led by Narragansett at $108,019. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.

How does Rhode Island rank after adjusting for cost of living?

Within the separate enrollment-weighted state comparison, BEA's 2023 Regional Price Parity (102.1, US=100) adjusts Rhode Island's nominal estimate of $91,048 from #6 to $89,206 and #8. The headline uses an unweighted district mean, so this does not replace it. Neither measure is take-home pay, taxes, or district/metro cost of living.

Explore Rhode Island

Disclaimer & data sources

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher for Rhode Island