Biological Scientists, All Other Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $102K, rent takes 24.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,544/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new biological scientists, all others typically earn — is $83K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,952/month. At HUD’s $1,544/month FMR, rent would take 31% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $102K locally vs. $99K nationally, a 3% difference.

Rhode Island pays $102K median vs. the U.S. average of $99K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.77), the purchasing-power equivalent is $100K — still ahead of the national median.

The median is $101,750 a year, that works out to about $49 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $82,540, and experienced biological scientists, all others can clear $159,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,362/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,544/month, which eats 24.3% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

Rhode Island has a Regional Price Parity of 101.77 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median biological scientists, all other salary is worth about $99,980 in national-average purchasing power.

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.