What a safety / EHS manager earns in Rhode Island — an estimated median of about $94,000 per year — plus who regulates workplace safety in the state and how to push your pay higher.
Safety and EHS managers in Rhode Island earn an estimated median of about $94,000 per year, with most positions falling between $73,320 and $126,900. The estimate is anchored on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES, May 2024 release) national median for occupational health & safety specialists — $83,910 (SOC 19-5011) — scaled to Rhode Island’s wage level. Actual pay varies with industry, employer size, certifications and experience. As the smallest state by area, Rhode Island’s safety-manager demand sits in a fairly compact Providence-area market rather than being spread across several regional hubs, and the state’s Northeast cost of living tends to run above the national median — so it’s worth weighing an offer against local housing costs rather than the raw dollar figure alone.
Rhode Island has not set up its own OSHA-approved State Plan, so workplace safety here is enforced directly by federal OSHA rather than a state agency. Safety managers generally work from the standard federal general-industry and construction rules, though employers doing marine and shipyard work — such as submarine-hull manufacturing at Quonset Point — also have to apply OSHA’s separate maritime and shipyard employment standards on top of the general rules.
EHS and safety-manager roles in Rhode Island cluster around Providence, Warwick, and Cranston, reflecting the state’s mix of hospital systems, marine and defense manufacturing tied to Quonset Point and Naval Station Newport, and a compact base of precision manufacturing that traces back to the state’s historic jewelry industry.
A few levers tend to move the needle most for safety managers working in this state:
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What does a safety manager earn in Rhode Island?
Safety and EHS managers in Rhode Island earn an estimated median of about $94,000 per year, with a typical range of $73,320 to $126,900 depending on industry, employer size, certifications and experience. The estimate is anchored on BLS OES national data scaled to Rhode Island’s wage level.
Does Rhode Island run its own OSHA program?
No. Rhode Island has not set up its own OSHA-approved State Plan, so workplace safety is enforced directly by federal OSHA.
What industries hire the most safety managers in Rhode Island?
Demand concentrates in Providence-area hospital systems, marine and defense manufacturing tied to submarine-hull work at Quonset Point and Naval Station Newport, and the state’s smaller advanced-manufacturing base. Marine and shipyard employers typically expect familiarity with OSHA’s maritime and shipyard employment standards on top of general industry rules.
How can I raise my safety-manager salary in Rhode Island?
A BCSP credential such as the CSP typically adds well over the uncertified baseline, and moving into a hospital-system, marine-manufacturing or multi-site/director role tends to pay more than a single-site generalist position. Rhode Island’s cost of living runs above the national median, so weigh an offer against local housing costs, not just the raw number. Use the free salary estimator to model your own number.
Salary figures are estimates derived from BLS national OES data scaled to state wage levels — not a guarantee or an offer. Verify current local data with BLS and employers. ← All states · Home