Rhode Island · Controller Salary
Controller Salary in Rhode Island
What controllers earn in Rhode Island — an estimated median and range built on the verified BLS OEWS May 2025 wage for accountants and auditors in the state.
Estimate · verified BLS Rhode Island wage ($95,820) → controller role multiplier · updated June 2026
How much does a Controller make in Rhode Island?
Verified: the BLS OEWS May 2025 Rhode Island wage for Accountants & Auditors (SOC 13-2011). The controller figure is a modeled Estimate layered on it — BLS publishes no role-specific wage.
Controller · estimated median
$186,800
Modeled median for a controller in Rhode Island, scaled from the verified BLS state wage.
Model your payRhode Island · verified BLS median
$95,820
The measured OEWS May 2025 median for accountants & auditors in Rhode Island — the base every estimate here is built on.
All Rhode Island payState rank (verified)
#9 of 51
Where Rhode Island ranks on the BLS-measured median for accountants & auditors.
Compare statesVerified baseline
The BLS measurement behind this page
BLS OEWS May 2025 reports wages for the broad occupation "Accountants and Auditors" (SOC 13-2011) in Rhode Island — not for controllers, and not for CPAs. These percentiles are direct measurements.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $59,920 | $28.81/hr | Entry-level / lower pay |
| 25th percentile | $76,400 | $36.73/hr | Below median |
| Median (50th) | $95,820 | $46.07/hr | Typical pay |
| 75th percentile | $120,280 | $57.83/hr | Experienced / senior |
| 90th percentile | $150,320 | $72.27/hr | Top earners |
The Rhode Island figures above, straight from the OEWS May 2025 release: a $95,820 median across 6,570 accountants and auditors employed in Rhode Island.
Every controller figure on this page — $186,800 median included. It is the verified state median scaled by this role’s multiplier (1.95×), because BLS publishes no controller-specific wage.
Comparison
Controller pay in Rhode Island vs. national
Rhode Island's measured accountant median runs +14.5% versus the U.S. figure. The role rows are estimates built on those two verified benchmarks.
Controller — Rhode Island
estimated median
$186,800
+94.9%Controller — national
estimated median
$163,200
+70.3%All accountants — Rhode Island
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$95,820
baseAll accountants — national
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$83,680
-12.7%
The controller estimate sits +94.9% above the verified Rhode Island accountant median and +14.5% versus the national controller estimate. Verified rows are BLS measurements; role rows are modeled.
Rhode Island market
What shapes controller pay in Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s compact economy centers on healthcare, education, and financial services around Providence, with spillover from the nearby Boston market. Pay generally tracks at or above the national median, paired with a higher-than-average cost of living.
The controller leads a company's accounting operations — the monthly close, financial reporting, internal controls, and often payroll, AP/AR, and audit coordination. It is typically the most senior technical-accounting role below the CFO.
Pay scales sharply with company size, industry, and complexity, and the CPA license is frequently expected. Controllers at larger companies and in finance- or tech-heavy markets sit at the top of the range.
Role ladder
Controller vs. other roles in Rhode Island
Each level's multiplier applied to Rhode Island's verified BLS median. Estimates — the comparison is consistent because every row shares one measured base.
Estimated pay by role · Rhode Island
On Rhode Island's verified pay base, estimated pay spans $74,700 (Staff Accountant) to $373,700 (Chief Financial Officer). Controller sits at $186,800.
| Role / level | Low | Est. median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Financial Officer | $373,700 | ||
| Partner | $345,000 | ||
| Director of Finance | $234,800 | ||
| Senior Manager | $196,400 | ||
| Controller | $186,800 | ||
| Tax Manager | $148,500 | ||
| Audit Manager | $148,500 | ||
| Accounting Manager | $136,100 | ||
| Audit Senior | $105,400 | ||
| Tax Senior | $103,500 | ||
| Senior Accountant | $97,700 | ||
| Audit Associate | $79,500 | ||
| Tax Associate | $78,600 | ||
| Staff Accountant | $74,700 |
Role multipliers applied to the BLS national median for Accountants & Auditors. The low–high band is a modeled typical range, not a guaranteed offer.
By experience
Controller pay by experience in Rhode Island
Rhode Island's verified pay base scaled across experience bands at the controller level. Estimate.
| Experience | Est. median | CPA-licensed (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 years | $160,700 | $180,000 |
| 2–4 years | $179,400 | $200,900 |
| 5–7 years | $201,800 | $226,000 |
| 8–12 years | $224,200 | $251,100 |
| 13–20 years | $246,600 | $276,200 |
| 20+ years | $265,300 | $297,100 |
Experience multipliers on the area median; CPA column adds a modeled +12% credential premium.
By employer
Controller pay by employer type in Rhode Island
Big 4, national, regional, and local firms vs. industry — at this role's level on the verified state pay base. Estimate.
| Employer type | Est. manager-level pay | vs. industry |
|---|---|---|
| Big 4 firm | $209,300 | +7.7% |
| National firm | $196,200 | +1.0% |
| Regional firm | $183,100 | -5.8% |
| Local firm | $171,900 | -11.5% |
| Industry / corporate | $194,300 | — |
Employer-type multipliers applied at a manager-level base on the BLS national median.
By metro
Controller pay across Rhode Island metros
BLS measures 1 metro area for accountants and auditors in Rhode Island. The measured median is verified; the controller column applies this role's multiplier to it.
| Metro area | Accountants medianBLS verified | Controller medianEstimate |
|---|---|---|
| Providence-Warwick | $95,020 | $185,300 |
Metro medians are direct BLS OEWS May 2025 measurements. The controller column is modeled from them.
Peer markets
States that pay like Rhode Island
Ranked immediately around Rhode Island (#9 of 51) on the verified BLS accountant median — the closest comparables for a controller weighing a move.
Compare states
Controller pay in other states
Where controllers are estimated to earn the most, built on each state's verified BLS median — Rhode Island ranks #9 of 51.
Controller salary in Rhode Island — FAQ
- How much does a Controller make in Rhode Island?
- A controller in Rhode Island earns an estimated $186,800 per year, typically ranging from $148,900 to $234,500+. That is +14.5% versus the national controller estimate of $163,200. The figure is a modeled estimate: BLS publishes no controller-specific wage, so we scale the BLS OEWS May 2025 verified Rhode Island median for accountants and auditors ($95,820) by this role's multiplier.
- What do BLS figures actually say about Rhode Island?
- BLS measures the broad occupation "Accountants and Auditors" (SOC 13-2011), not CPAs or controllers specifically. For Rhode Island, the verified OEWS May 2025 median is $95,820, with a 25th–75th percentile band of $76,400–$120,280 and 6,570 accountants and auditors employed in Rhode Island. Everything role-specific on this page is layered on top of that measurement and labeled Estimate.
- Is Rhode Island a good state to work as a Controller?
- Rhode Island ranks #9 of 51 on the verified BLS median for accountants and auditors, running +14.5% versus the national median. Controllers are estimated to track that same gap. Weigh it against cost of living, the local mix of firms and industry employers, and remote roles that may pay to a national band.
- Does a Controller in Rhode Island earn more than the average accountant?
- Yes — the controller estimate of $186,800 runs +94.9% versus the verified Rhode Island median for all accountants and auditors ($95,820). That gap is the modeled role premium, not a measured one: BLS reports one wage for the whole occupation, and senior and specialized roles sit above that broad-occupation midpoint.
How to read these numbers
National, state, and metro pay comes straight from the federal wage measurement for accountants & auditors — direct and source-backed, not scaled from anything.
Role, experience, CPA-license, and employer figures are modeled on top of that measurement and labeled Estimate — the federal data does not break those out, so we never present them as measurements.
Add your Rhode Island controller salary
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