The Salary Index
Salary data is based on the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metropolitan area and applied to Providence using local cost-of-living adjustments.

Human Resources Managers Salaries in Providence, RI

Average Base Pay

$138,815/yr

2% above national average

Monthly

$11,568

Hourly

$67

Cost Index

110

Human Resources Managers in Providence, RI earn an average of $138,815 per year, with most salaries falling between $111,052 and $166,578 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 2% above the national average, Providence ranks among the higher-paying markets for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 110. For professionals evaluating a move or negotiating an offer, the headline salary is only part of the picture—what matters most is how far that income actually goes once taxes, rent, and daily expenses are factored in. The sections below break that down in full for Providence.

Salary Range

The chart below shows the full compensation spectrum for this role, from entry-level to senior positions. The highlighted center bars represent the 25th–75th percentile band where most professionals are paid.

$104K
Low
$139K
Median
$174K
High
25th percentile: $118K75th percentile: $160K

About Human Resources Managers

Human Resources Managers oversee the policies, processes, and programs that govern the employee lifecycle—from recruiting and onboarding to performance management, compensation, benefits, and separation. They serve as strategic business partners to leadership and as the point of authority on employment law, company policy, and workplace relations. HR managers develop and implement talent acquisition strategies, oversee compensation and benefits administration, manage employee relations issues including complaints and disciplinary actions, and ensure compliance with federal and state employment laws such as FLSA, FMLA, ADA, and Title VII. They design and administer performance management programs, lead training and development initiatives, and analyze workforce data to support planning decisions. In employee relations, HR managers handle sensitive situations requiring discretion, empathy, and legal awareness—investigating harassment complaints, managing terminations, and mediating conflicts. They build HR process infrastructure that scales with organizational growth. The SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification from the Society for Human Resource Management is the leading professional credential.

What Human Resources Managers Do

  • Lead talent acquisition including job postings, interviews, offers, and onboarding
  • Manage employee relations issues including complaints, investigations, and disciplinary actions
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations
  • Design and administer compensation and benefits programs
  • Implement and manage performance review and goal-setting processes
  • Develop HR policies and employee handbooks
  • Analyze HR metrics and workforce data to inform people strategy
  • Partner with business leaders on organizational design and change management

Key Skills & Qualifications

  • Employment law knowledge (FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, EEOC)
  • HRIS platforms such as Workday, ADP, or BambooHR
  • Talent acquisition strategy and interviewing techniques
  • Employee relations and conflict resolution
  • Compensation benchmarking and benefits administration
  • HR analytics and workforce planning
  • SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification
  • Change management and organizational development

Career Path

  1. HR Generalist / HR Coordinator
  2. HR Manager
  3. Senior HR Manager / HR Business Partner
  4. Director of Human Resources
  5. Chief People Officer / VP of HR

Human Resources Managers Market in Providence, RI

Salary Competitiveness

Providence salaries for Human Resources Managers track closely with the national median, diverging by less than 4%. This alignment suggests a competitive but balanced local market—employers are broadly in step with national pay scales, which can make benchmark comparisons more reliable when negotiating.

Cost of Living Impact

Providence sits close to the national cost average. Monthly essential expenses represent about 35% of take-home pay for this role—a midrange ratio that allows for modest savings and discretionary spending, provided housing costs remain stable.

Effective Purchasing Power

After adjusting for local taxes and cost of living, a Human Resources Managers earning $138,815 in Providence reaches a strong purchasing-power position. The effective standard of living this income supports is materially higher than the gross number alone implies—a useful data point for professionals comparing offers across metro areas.

vs. National Avg

+2%

Cost Pressure

35%

Purchasing Power

Strong

Take-Home Pay Calculator

Enter any gross salary to see how federal and state taxes affect your actual take-home pay, broken down by year, month, and week. Results use an estimated effective tax rate of 27% based on this location and income level.

$
Take-home (73%)Taxes (27%)

Annual Net

$101,335

Monthly

$8,445

Weekly

$1,949

Eff. Tax Rate

27%

A gross salary of $138,815 for a Human Resources Managers in Providence translates to roughly $8,445 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,950—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $5,495 per month in disposable income. That margin, not the gross number, is what determines whether you can comfortably cover rent, build savings, and afford discretionary spending in Providence's current market.

How far does this salary go in Providence?

Cost of Living in Providence

Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Providence, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.

Cost Index

110

Above Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).

🏠Housing / Rent$1,720/mo
🍔Food & Groceries$535/mo
🚗Transportation$150/mo
💡Utilities$220/mo
🏥Healthcare$325/mo
Monthly$2,950
Annual$35,400
Disposable Income$5,495

Financial Reality Check

This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Providence to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.

Monthly Take-Home

$8,445

Living Costs

$2,950

Disposable

$5,495

Cost Index

110

Lifestyle

Comfortable

With a monthly take-home of $8,445, your estimated living costs in Providence are $2,950 ($35,400/yr). This leaves $5,495 per month in disposable income, indicating a comfortable standard of living. Providence's cost of living is 10% above the national average.

Overall, a Human Resources Managers earning $138,815 in Providence falls into a comfortable lifestyle tier and has meaningful room to save, invest, and absorb unexpected expenses without financial stress. With a cost index of 110, Providence is 10% more expensive than the national average, which compresses real purchasing power. Regardless of tier, prioritizing retirement contributions, an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses, and incremental debt reduction will yield the greatest long-term financial stability—especially as living costs in Providence continue to evolve.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Human Resources Managers · Providence, RI2% above avg

Gross Salary

$138,815/yr

Take-home

$8,445/mo

Disposable

$5,495/mo

Lifestyle

Comfortable

Source: thesalaryindex.com · BLS data

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COL index, rent benchmarks, top jobs, and affordability score.

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Salary estimates are based on BLS metro data and adjusted using cost-of-living indices.