Rhode Island Apprenticeship Programs
Rhode Island runs a smaller registered-apprenticeship system in the country — 3,800 active apprentices across 185 programs, with a 61.2% completion rate and wages that climb from $18 to $32.
- Active apprentices
- 3,800
- National rank
- #41 / 51
- Completion rate
- 61.2%
- Completion wage
- $32
Rhode Island ranks #41 of 51 of 51 jurisdictions by active registered apprentices — about 0.4% of all U.S. registered apprentices. Its 61.2% completion rate sits 3 pts above the 58.2% national average, and apprentices who finish raise their pay by 80% — from $18 to $32 an hour.
Where Rhode Island sits among all 51 jurisdictions
Active registered apprentices by state (in thousands). Rhode Island is marked in rose; most states cluster at the lower end while a few large states carry the bulk of enrollment.
Rhode Island has active apprentices of 4k. Distribution: 26 states at 0-10k; 11 states at 10-20k; 6 states at 20-30k; 3 states at 30-40k; 2 states at 40-50k; 1 states at 50-60k; 0 states at 60-70k; 1 states at 70-80k; 1 states at 80-90k.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor registered-apprenticeship data, compiled by PlainWorkforce. Counts rounded to the nearest thousand.
Rhode Island's largest registered-apprenticeship occupations, ranked by AI-exposure score — most sit well below the 37% occupation-wide average (the dotted line), which is exactly why the trades are AI-resilient. Bars link to the full occupation profile where tracked.
- Electrician 13%
- Plumber 27%
- Iron Worker —
- Carpenter 28%
- Operating Engineer 25%
AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis of O*NET task data; the 37% line is the average across all 832 tracked occupations. Lower = more AI-resilient.
Rhode Island vs. the national average
Frequently asked questions
How many apprentices does Rhode Island have?
Rhode Island has approximately 3,800 active registered apprentices across about 185 registered programs, ranking 41 of 51 U.S. jurisdictions by active enrollment (U.S. Department of Labor registered-apprenticeship data).
What is the apprenticeship completion rate in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island's registered-apprenticeship completion rate is approximately 61.2%, 3 points above the 58.2% national average across all 51 jurisdictions.
How much do apprentices earn in Rhode Island?
Registered apprentices in Rhode Island start at around $18 per hour and earn approximately $32 per hour on completion — a 80% increase. Wages rise progressively as skills develop.
What are the top apprenticeship trades in Rhode Island?
The most common registered-apprenticeship trades in Rhode Island are Electrician, Plumber, Iron Worker, Carpenter, Operating Engineer. Construction trades (electricians, plumbers, carpenters) dominate registered enrollment nationally.
Compare other states
Data sources: U.S. Department of Labor — Registered Apprenticeship (active apprentices, registered programs, completion rates, and wages by state); O*NET (occupation task data, for the linked AI-exposure scores). Compiled and formatted by PlainWorkforce. Enrollment and wage figures are rounded. See our methodology for how this data is sourced and computed.