Weekly PayRI requires weekly pay for many employers
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6 weeksRI Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI)
Section 1
Rhode Island Paycheck Calculator 2026
Rhode Island's three-bracket income tax (3.75%–5.99%) uses the same thresholds for every filing status. Because the first bracket extends to $82,050 (2026), most RI workers pay the 3.75% rate on all their taxable income. Enter your details for an instant estimate, or see our guide to the paycheck calculator for a walkthrough of how gross pay becomes net pay. See how another state stacks up with the full paycheck calculator.
Section 2
Rhode Island Income Tax Rates 2026
Rhode Island has three progressive income tax brackets that apply the same way regardless of filing status. Because the first bracket extends to $82,050 (2026), most RI workers pay the 3.75% rate on all their taxable income — making RI's effective rate competitive among New England states.
Rate
Single / MFS Taxable Income
Married Filing Jointly
3.75%
$0 – $82,050
Same for all filing statuses
4.75%
$82,051 – $186,450
Same for all filing statuses
5.99%
Over $186,450
Same for all filing statuses
Rhode Island deductions for 2026: RI provides its own standard deduction — $10,900 single/MFS, $21,800 MFJ, $16,350 HOH — separate from the federal amount, plus a personal exemption of $5,100 per exemption. Both phase out for higher earners (modified AGI above $254,250). These reduce RI taxable income before brackets apply. Most single workers earning under $95,000 gross will have all their RI taxable income fall within the 3.75% bracket. Rhode Island also requires weekly pay for many industries — one of the few states with this stricter-than-biweekly requirement.
Section 5
Rhode Island Pay Laws & Paycheck Factors 2026
Rhode Island has several state-specific rules that directly affect what shows up on your paycheck — from weekly pay requirements to the Temporary Caregiver Insurance program. Here is what every RI worker needs to know.
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Rhode Island Payment of Wages Act — Weekly Pay Requirement
Rhode Island requires many employers to pay wages weekly — one of the most frequent pay requirements in the country. Final wages on termination must be paid by the next regular payday — see our final paycheck rules guide for how this compares to other states.
Weekly pay required for many employersFinal pay: next regular payday
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Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) — Up to 6 Weeks Paid Family Leave
Rhode Island's TCI program provides up to 6 weeks of partial wage replacement (approximately 60% of wages) for workers who need to care for a seriously ill family member, bond with a new child, or handle qualifying military needs. Funded through a small payroll deduction visible on your pay stub. One of the earliest and most established paid family leave programs in the US.
Up to 6 weeks paid family leave~60% wage replacementFunded via payroll deduction
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Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act — Paid Sick Leave
Employers with 18 or more employees must provide paid sick and safe leave. Smaller employers must provide unpaid leave. Employees accrue 1 hour per 35 hours worked, up to 40 hours (5 days) per year. Leave can be used for illness, preventive care, or domestic violence/stalking needs. Accrued leave carries over year to year.
How Much Is Taken Out of My Paycheck in Rhode Island?
For a Providence healthcare worker at $78,000 (bi-weekly), expect ~$430 federal, ~$87 RI state (3.75%), ~$230 FICA, ~$33 TCI — leaving approximately $2,220/paycheck. RI's 3.75% rate is actually lower than Massachusetts's 5.0% flat rate at this income level.
Salary Calculator
Rhode Island Salary Calculator — RI Net Pay Including TCI
RI net pay formula: state income tax (3.75%–5.99%) + TCI (~1.1%) + federal + FICA. For a $78,000 worker contributing ~$860/year in TCI, the maximum benefit is ~$9,000 for a 6-week leave — an extraordinary return on the payroll deduction.
Tax Calculation
How Rhode Island Paycheck Tax Is Calculated — Step by Step
Rhode Island has three brackets, but because the first bracket extends to $82,050 (2026), most full-time workers pay the 3.75% rate on virtually all their RI taxable income. Here is the complete calculation your employer runs to produce your pay stub each period.
1
Compute Gross Pay
Hourly: rate × hours. Salaried: annual ÷ pay periods. RI requires weekly pay for most employers — one of the strictest pay frequency requirements in the country. Rhode Island follows federal FLSA overtime at 1.5× after 40 hours/week. RI's minimum wage is $15.00/hr in 2026. Major RI employers include Lifespan Health System, Care New England, Brown University, and Raytheon — with wages ranging from $15 to $80+/hour.
2
TCI Deduction — Rhode Island's Paid Family Leave Contribution
Rhode Island's Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) program requires a small employee payroll deduction — approximately 1.1% of wages up to the TCI wage base. This appears on your RI pay stub as a separate line item. On a $78,000 salary, TCI withholding is approximately $858/year. The return on this contribution is substantial: up to 6 weeks at 60% of wages, or roughly $9,000 in benefits for a qualifying leave.
3
Rhode Island State Income Tax — 3.75% for Most Workers
RI provides its own standard deduction of $10,900 (single, 2026) and a $5,100 personal exemption per filer. After deductions, the 3.75% rate applies to all taxable income up to $82,050. A single worker earning $75,000 gross — after the $10,900 RI standard deduction and $5,100 exemption — has approximately $59,000 in RI taxable income, paying roughly $2,213 in RI state tax annually (2.95% effective).
4
Federal Income Tax
Using IRS Publication 15-T 2026 tables. Most Providence-area workers in healthcare, education, and financial services earn $45,000–$120,000, placing them in the 12%–22% federal brackets. Brown University, Providence College, and Lifespan employees often have 403(b) access that meaningfully reduces federal taxable income.
5
FICA — Social Security & Medicare
Social Security: 6.2% up to $184,500 (2026). Medicare: 1.45% on all wages. Rhode Island has no state disability insurance surcharge beyond TCI, keeping FICA-adjacent deductions lower than neighboring Massachusetts (which has PFML contributions) or New York (which has SDI).
Real Examples
Rhode Island Paycheck Examples — Weekly & Bi-Weekly
Real paycheck estimates for common RI worker profiles. Single filer, one $5,100 exemption, no pre-tax deductions, 2026 rates including TCI.
Retail Worker — Providence
$36,000/yr ($15/hr × 40 hrs + raises)
Gross (bi-weekly)
$1,384.62
Federal income tax (~10% eff.)
−$83.00
RI state tax (3.75% eff.)
−$33.00
TCI (~1.1%)
−$15.23
Social Security (6.2%)
−$85.85
Medicare (1.45%)
−$20.08
Take-Home (est.)
~$1,147/paycheck
Registered Nurse — Lifespan / RIH
$80,000/yr
Gross (bi-weekly)
$3,076.92
Federal income tax (~17% eff.)
−$387.00
RI state tax (3.75% eff.)
−$82.00
TCI (~1.1%)
−$33.85
Social Security (6.2%)
−$190.77
Medicare (1.45%)
−$44.62
Take-Home (est.)
~$2,339/paycheck
Defense / Raytheon Engineer — East Providence
$115,000/yr
Gross (bi-weekly)
$4,423.08
Federal income tax (~22% eff.)
−$680.00
RI state tax (4.2% eff.)
−$128.00
TCI (~1.1%)
−$48.65
Social Security (6.2%)
−$274.23
Medicare (1.45%)
−$64.13
Take-Home (est.)
~$3,228/paycheck
New England Comparison
Rhode Island vs. New England States — Take-Home on $75,000
RI's 3.75% effective rate is the most competitive in New England for most full-time workers. Here is the real comparison on a $75,000 salary (single filer).
State
Income Tax
Paid Leave Tax
Est. State Tax
Annual Take-Home
⚓ Rhode Island
3.75%
TCI ~1.1%
~$2,350
~$55,100
🦞 Massachusetts
5.0% flat
PFML ~0.88%
~$4,380
~$53,070
🗺️ Connecticut
3%–6.99%
PFML ~0.5%
~$3,100
~$54,350
🏔️ Vermont
3.35%–8.75%
None
~$2,800
~$54,650
🌲 Maine
5.8%–7.15%
None
~$3,600
~$53,850
Key insight: Rhode Island workers earning under $82,050 taxable income pay the lowest effective state income tax in New England. The TCI deduction is offset by its substantial 6-week benefit eligibility.
Rhode Island's TCI is a mandatory mandatory withholding structurally similar to California's State Disability Insurance — both are state-run programs that appear as a required line on every paycheck, not an elective benefit. On the pure tax-rate side, Rhode Island's 5.99% top rate is closest to New Mexico's 5.9% among the states we cover.
Maximize Take-Home
Pre-Tax Deductions That Reduce Your Rhode Island Tax Bill
401(k) and 403(b) — High Value at 3.75%
Even at RI's relatively low 3.75% rate, the 2026 contribution limit of $23,500 generates $881 in RI state tax savings — plus the 12%–22% federal savings covered in our guide to paycheck deductions. Brown University, Providence College, Lifespan, and Care New England employees have 403(b) access with institutional matching. State employees contribute to ERSRI (Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island), a pre-tax pension contribution visible on every stub.
Health Insurance Premiums
Employer-sponsored health premiums paid pre-tax reduce both RI and federal taxable income. Most RI hospital system employees contribute $150–$500/month toward premiums, saving $7–$23/month in RI state tax.
HSA — RI Conforms to Federal Treatment
Rhode Island conforms to federal HSA law, meaning contributions reduce both federal and RI taxable income. The 2026 HSA limit is $4,300 (individual) / $8,550 (family). At 3.75%, a fully funded family HSA saves approximately $320 in RI state tax annually — modest but meaningful when combined with 12%–22% federal bracket savings.
Pay Frequency
Rhode Island Take-Home by Pay Frequency — $75,000 Salary
Rhode Island requires weekly pay for most employers under RI Gen. Laws §28-14-2 — the strictest pay frequency law in New England. Here is what $75,000 looks like per period — single filer, $5,100 exemption, TCI included, 2026 rates.
Pay Schedule
Gross Per Period
Federal Tax
RI State Tax
TCI + FICA
Net Take-Home
Weekly (52)
$1,442.31
−$162.00
−$38.00
−$126.32
~$1,116
Bi-Weekly (26)
$2,884.62
−$324.00
−$76.00
−$252.63
~$2,232
Semi-Monthly (24)
$3,125.00
−$351.00
−$82.00
−$273.75
~$2,418
Monthly (12)
$6,250.00
−$702.00
−$164.00
−$547.50
~$4,837
RI Payroll Law
Rhode Island Wage & Payroll Laws for 2026
Rhode Island TCI — Temporary Caregiver Insurance Explained
Rhode Island was the first state in the country to pass paid caregiver leave (2013). The TCI program deducts approximately 1.1% of wages (up to the taxable wage base) from every RI employee paycheck. In return, workers can receive up to 6 weeks of paid leave at 60% of wages (up to the state average weekly wage cap) for bonding with a new child or caring for a seriously ill family member. For a worker earning $78,000, the annual TCI deduction is approximately $858 — and the potential benefit is approximately $9,300 for a qualifying 6-week leave.
RI Minimum Wage — $15.00/hr in 2026
Rhode Island's minimum wage reached $15.00/hr in 2025 and holds at that level in 2026. The RI Department of Labor and Training enforces minimum wage compliance. Tipped employees — servers, bartenders — may receive a lower cash wage of $3.89/hr as long as tips bring total hourly earnings to at least $15.00. If tips fall short in any workweek, the employer must make up the difference. Providence's hospitality industry is the primary sector where tip credit applies.
RI Wage Theft Prevention — Final Pay Rules
Rhode Island requires final paychecks to be paid on the next regular payday after termination. Unlike same-day states (California), RI allows the normal pay cycle — see our final paycheck rules guide for the full state-by-state comparison. However, RI's Wage Theft law (2013) makes willful underpayment a criminal misdemeanor for employers — and allows workers to recover double damages for unpaid wages in civil court. For RI construction, restaurant, and retail workers where wage theft risk is elevated, this is meaningful legal protection.
RI Tax Facts
Key Rhode Island Income Tax Facts for 2026
RI's Three Brackets — Most Workers Never Reach the Top Two
Rhode Island has three brackets that apply the same way to every filing status: 3.75% on taxable income up to $82,050, 4.75% on $82,051–$186,450, and 5.99% on income above $186,450. After the $10,900 RI standard deduction and $5,100 RI exemption, a worker earning $90,000 gross has approximately $74,000 in RI taxable income — placing them entirely in the 3.75% bracket. Only workers earning above approximately $98,000 gross reach the 4.75% bracket at all, and only those earning above $202,000 gross reach the 5.99% rate. For most RI workers, 3.75% is the only rate that matters.
RI vs. Massachusetts — Why Many RI Workers Cross the Border
An estimated 60,000+ Rhode Island residents commute to Massachusetts for work. From a tax perspective, this creates complexity: Massachusetts workers pay MA income tax (5.0% flat) on MA wages, but also file a RI return and claim a credit for taxes paid to other states. For a RI resident earning $80,000 in Massachusetts, the net result is often paying MA's 5.0% rather than RI's 3.75% — meaning the commute costs more in taxes than staying in RI for comparable work. The RI credit partially offsets but doesn't eliminate the difference.
Providence Municipal Tax — Does It Exist?
Unlike many northeastern cities (New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore), Providence does not levy a city or municipal income tax on wages. All Rhode Island workers — whether in Providence, Warwick, Cranston, or Woonsocket — pay only the statewide RI income tax with no additional local income tax layer. This simplicity distinguishes RI from neighboring Connecticut where some municipalities have historically proposed local income taxes, and from Massachusetts where Boston residents briefly faced a commuter tax proposal.
Section 6
Rhode Island Paycheck Calculator — FAQ
Top questions about Rhode Island take-home pay, state income tax, and worker rights. Updated for 2026.
Rhode Island has three brackets that apply the same way regardless of filing status: 3.75% on taxable income up to $82,050, 4.75% up to $186,450, and 5.99% above that (2026, inflation-adjusted). Because the first bracket extends to $82,050, most RI workers — after applying the standard deduction and personal exemptions — pay the 3.75% rate on essentially all their taxable income. The effective RI state tax rate for workers earning $40,000–$80,000 is typically between 2.5% and 3.5%.
No. Providence, Cranston, Warwick, Pawtucket, and all other Rhode Island cities and towns have no local income taxes on wages. The only income tax withheld from your RI paycheck is the state income tax to the Rhode Island Division of Taxation. Rhode Island does have municipal property taxes, but those do not affect your paycheck.
Rhode Island's minimum wage is $15.00 per hour in 2026, indexed to CPI (so it may be slightly above $15 after inflation adjustment). Tipped employees may be paid $3.89/hour cash with tips making up the balance to $15.00. Rhode Island also requires many employers to pay employees weekly — one of the strictest pay frequency requirements in the country. If your employer pays bi-weekly or monthly without a DLT exemption, that itself may be a violation.
Example: A single RI worker earning $60,000/year bi-weekly: Gross per paycheck: $2,307.69 | Federal tax: ~$230 | RI state tax: ~$70 | Social Security: ~$143 | Medicare: ~$33 | Total deductions: ~$476 | Take-home: approximately $1,832 per bi-weekly paycheck. Use our calculator above for your exact numbers.
Rhode Island's TCI is a state-funded paid family leave program providing up to 6 weeks of partial wage replacement (approximately 60% of wages) for workers who need to care for a seriously ill family member, bond with a new child, or assist with qualifying military needs. It's funded through a small employee payroll deduction — typically around 1.1% of covered wages up to the taxable wage base. The TCI line item on your pay stub is the contribution. When you need the benefit, you can receive partial income replacement for up to 6 weeks, administered by the RI Department of Labor and Training.
If you live in Rhode Island but work in Massachusetts, you generally pay Massachusetts income tax on your MA wages, and RI provides a credit for taxes paid to MA so you aren't fully double-taxed. There is no formal reciprocal agreement between RI and MA (unlike Virginia-Maryland, for example), so the mechanics are handled through tax credits at filing time. Your employer should withhold Massachusetts state tax, not Rhode Island. If RI tax is being withheld on your MA wages, contact a tax professional — you may be entitled to a RI refund and owe MA taxes instead.
Key insight: Rhode Island requires weekly pay for many industries — one of only a few states with this frequency. Missed weekly pay is a wage violation recoverable through the RI Department of Labor.
Need a different salary or filing status? Use the Rhode Island paycheck calculator above.
How Rhode Island Compares
RI's first bracket ($0–$82,050) at 3.75% means most workers pay only the lowest rate. Neighboring state: Massachusetts (5% flat) or Connecticut (3%–6.99%).