High paying teaching and library jobs in Rhode Island

Every teaching and library occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Rhode Island. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single teaching and library job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Rhode Island run 2.3% above the national average (2024), so a Rhode Island salary is worth about 0.98× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in Rhode Island.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find teaching jobs in Rhode Island

OccupationMedian, Rhode Island · Employed

1Teachers and Instructors, All Other$130,480
Bachelor's degree
$31,910 – $187,550410
2Business Teachers, Postsecondary$103,820
Doctoral or professional degree
$66,110 – $203,360360
3Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$103,780
Doctoral or professional degree
$61,370 – $213,590480
4Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary$102,300
Doctoral or professional degree
$60,950 – $166,050250
5Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary$101,320
Doctoral or professional degree
$62,640 – $156,820170
6Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary$100,790
Doctoral or professional degree
$60,770 – $161,420160
7Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$97,580
Master's degree
$62,820 – $158,850440
8Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$95,600
Doctoral or professional degree
$62,810 – $183,740260
9Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary$94,360
Doctoral or professional degree
$62,340 – $138,110180
10Special Education Teachers, Middle School$93,970
Bachelor's degree
$48,830 – $97,450380
11Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$92,990
Bachelor's degree
$46,580 – $99,900830
12Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$92,760
Bachelor's degree
$46,460 – $99,1502,370
13Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$92,610
Bachelor's degree
$51,670 – $100,3704,910
14Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$90,930
Bachelor's degree
$45,070 – $99,6103,830
15Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$85,470
Bachelor's degree
$38,050 – $99,320360
16Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$84,300
Bachelor's degree
$60,420 – $98,1701,070
17Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary$82,510
Doctoral or professional degree
$49,660 – $132,570150
18Education Teachers, Postsecondary$80,030
Doctoral or professional degree
$50,300 – $125,510190
19English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$79,190
Doctoral or professional degree
$64,700 – $129,890540
20Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary$78,340
Doctoral or professional degree
$50,890 – $106,220260
21Tutors$77,850
Some college, no degree
$52,590 – $93,230300
22Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$75,860
Master's degree
$50,040 – $100,990780
23Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary$65,210
Bachelor's degree
$49,510 – $97,680310
24Instructional Coordinators$63,110
Master's degree
$38,430 – $101,4101,240
25Postsecondary Teachers, All Other$60,390
Doctoral or professional degree
$47,030 – $160,500770
26Library Technicians$48,740
Postsecondary nondegree award
$31,200 – $64,120160
27Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$45,590
Bachelor's degree
$36,410 – $60,6401,910
28Self-Enrichment Teachers$41,960
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,200 – $61,6001,400
29Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$37,220
Some college, no degree
$31,200 – $47,7205,200
30Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$36,830
Associate's degree
$31,200 – $46,1801,890

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianRhode Island	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Teachers and Instructors, All OtherBachelor's degree	$130,480	$31,910 – $187,550	410
2	Business Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$103,820	$66,110 – $203,360	360
3	Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$103,780	$61,370 – $213,590	480
4	Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$102,300	$60,950 – $166,050	250
5	Political Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$101,320	$62,640 – $156,820	170
6	Computer Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$100,790	$60,770 – $161,420	160
7	Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$97,580	$62,820 – $158,850	440
8	Mathematical Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$95,600	$62,810 – $183,740	260
9	Psychology Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$94,360	$62,340 – $138,110	180
10	Special Education Teachers, Middle SchoolBachelor's degree	$93,970	$48,830 – $97,450	380
11	Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$92,990	$46,580 – $99,900	830
12	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$92,760	$46,460 – $99,150	2,370
13	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$92,610	$51,670 – $100,370	4,910
14	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$90,930	$45,070 – $99,610	3,830
15	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$85,470	$38,050 – $99,320	360
16	Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary SchoolBachelor's degree	$84,300	$60,420 – $98,170	1,070
17	Philosophy and Religion Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$82,510	$49,660 – $132,570	150
18	Education Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$80,030	$50,300 – $125,510	190
19	English Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$79,190	$64,700 – $129,890	540
20	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$78,340	$50,890 – $106,220	260
21	TutorsSome college, no degree	$77,850	$52,590 – $93,230	300
22	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$75,860	$50,040 – $100,990	780
23	Career/Technical Education Teachers, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$65,210	$49,510 – $97,680	310
24	Instructional CoordinatorsMaster's degree	$63,110	$38,430 – $101,410	1,240
25	Postsecondary Teachers, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$60,390	$47,030 – $160,500	770
26	Library TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$48,740	$31,200 – $64,120	160
27	Substitute Teachers, Short-TermBachelor's degree	$45,590	$36,410 – $60,640	1,910
28	Self-Enrichment TeachersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,960	$31,200 – $61,600	1,400
29	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$37,220	$31,200 – $47,720	5,200
30	Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationAssociate's degree	$36,830	$31,200 – $46,180	1,890

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Rhode Island. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for Rhode Island

Metro areas in Rhode Island

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

Providence-Warwick

By field in Rhode Island

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Rhode Island to rank honestly.

High paying teaching and library jobs in Rhode Island

More for Rhode Island

Metro areas in Rhode Island

By field in Rhode Island

Without a degree

High paying teaching and library jobs in each state