SOC 19-4061 · Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro

Social Science Research Assistants Salary in Providence, RI

The average salary for social science research assistants in Providence, Rhode Island is $64,750 a year ($31.13 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $52,470: half of the 220 people in this job in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($66,140).

$64,750average per year

$31.13 / hourMedian $52,470Take-home ≈ $52,395

  • $48K10th
  • $51K25th
  • $52KMedian
  • $77K75th
  • $100K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

220people in this job
-2%vs U.S. average
102cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Social Science Research Assistants pay range in Providence

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,420 a year or less, while the top 10% make $99,720 or more. The middle half of social science research assistants in Providence earn between $51,420 and $76,590.

  • $48K10th
  • $51K25th
  • $52KMedian
  • $77K75th
  • $100K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$64,750$5,396$31.13
Median$52,470$4,372$25.23
Entry level (25th percentile)$51,420$4,285$24.72
Experienced (75th percentile)$76,590$6,382$36.82

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Social Science Research Assistants pay in Providence vs. Rhode Island and the U.S.

Social science research assistants in Providence earn about the same as the Rhode Island average ($64,380) and about the same as the U.S. average ($66,140). At the median the gap is -15% against the U.S. median of $61,990.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Providence$64,750$52,470$48,420$99,720220
Rhode Island$64,380$51,420$41,990$99,720220
United States$66,140$61,990$38,090$102,07030,640

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Social Science Research Assistants salary after taxes in Providence

On the average salary of $64,750, a single filer in Providence takes home about $52,395 a year, or $4,366 a month and $2,015 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

The Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in RI$52,395$4,366
Working in MA$51,289$4,274

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Rhode Island's Temporary Disability Insurance payroll contribution is not included.

Rhode Island paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Providence a good place for social science research assistants? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Providence area are 2% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 101.8), so the average $64,750 buys what about $63,622 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Providence ($53,680). A typical home costs $524,867, or 8.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $64,750 is worth in another city

Social Science Research Assistants salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for social science research assistants

Atlanta, GA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($90,820).

Social Science Research Assistants salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Social Science Research Assistants in Providence, RI.

Social Science Research Assistants salary in Providence: questions

How much do social science research assistants make an hour in Providence?

$31.13 an hour on average, and $25.23 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level social science research assistants salary in Providence?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,420 a year and the 25th percentile is $51,420, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the social science research assistants take-home pay in Providence?

About $52,395 a year ($4,366 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $64,750. Rhode Island's Temporary Disability Insurance payroll contribution is not included.

Do social science research assistants earn more in Providence than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($66,140).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 19-4061; area Providence-Warwick, RI-MA (39300). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 10.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Rhode Island's Temporary Disability Insurance payroll contribution is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.56, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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