Actuary Salary
Bureau of Labor Statistics title: Actuaries
The median actuary salary in the United States is $130,000 per year ($62.50/hour). Salaries range from $78,570 at the entry level to $215,100+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 26,670 actuary jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 21.8% through 2034.
Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Salary Distribution
Job Growth (2024-2034)
Annual Openings
Education Required
Training Needed
Actuary Career Guide
Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for actuarys.
Actuaries use math + statistics to price risk for insurance, pensions, healthcare, and financial services. Career splits: property + casualty insurance (P&C β auto, home, commercial), life + health insurance, pensions + retirement, reinsurance, consulting (Milliman, Mercer, Aon, Willis Towers Watson). Path: bachelor's in math/statistics + progressive exams through professional societies (SOA β Society of Actuaries for life + health + pension, CAS β Casualty Actuarial Society for P&C). Full designation (ASA or ACAS after 5-7 exams, FSA or FCAS after 7-10 exams) takes 5-10 years. Median compensation: entry $70-95k; mid-career $110-145k; ASA/ACAS $135-185k; FSA/FCAS $175-260k+; consulting + specialty $220-380k+. Actuaries consistently rank as one of the best-paying + most secure careers.
Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For
How to Become a Actuary
- 1Bachelor's in Mathematics, Statistics, Actuarial Science, or relatedSTEM major with strong math + statistics. Some actuarial science programs specifically prepare for exams.
- 2Take first 2-4 exams during collegeExams P (Probability), FM (Financial Mathematics), IFM (Investment + Financial Markets), STAM/SRM (Statistics for Risk Modeling). Passing 2+ before graduation strongly preferred by employers.
- 3Entry role: Actuarial Analyst / Actuarial TraineeStudy program with paid study time + exam fees + salary raises with each pass. Typical company covers cost of exam + prep materials.
- 4Progress through professional examsASA = 5-7 exams (SOA). ACAS = 5 exams (CAS). Continued exams to FSA/FCAS = 7-10 total exams. 3-5 years typical for ASA/ACAS.
- 5Move to Senior Actuarial Analyst β Actuarial Manager5-10 years experience + partial exams. Higher pay + management responsibility.
- 6Achieve full designation (FSA / FCAS)10 years typical. Highest earning + signing authority for actuarial opinions.
- 7Optional: Consulting or specialty (predictive modeling, reinsurance, executive)Higher pay + variety. Big 4 + consulting firms + specialty houses.
Career Progression
- β’Data + reporting work
- β’Simple pricing + reserving
- β’Study program
- β’More complex modeling
- β’Business partner interactions
- β’Mentoring junior analysts
- β’Independent projects
- β’Business area ownership
- β’Signing analyst-level reports
- β’Team of 5-15 actuaries
- β’Full business area P&L
- β’Sign actuarial opinions
- β’Full actuarial function leadership
- β’Board + executive team + regulatory
- β’Strategic risk + capital decisions
Interview Questions & Answers
5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 12 total plus resume bullets for every level.
Q1. Which exams have you passed?situational
Q2. Walk me through a modeling project you worked on.case
Q3. Tell me about an actuarial calculation you would explain to a non-actuary.situational
Q4. Why actuarial science / this company?culture
Q5. How do you validate the reasonableness of your calculations?situational
Resume Template β Actuarial Analyst (2-4 yrs)
Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.
- βΈActuarial Analyst, [Company], responsible for [product line] pricing + reserving.
- βΈ5 exams passed (P + FM + IFM + STAM + FAM-S). Progressing toward ASA designation.
- βΈContributed to $18M in improved pricing accuracy through GLM refinement + variable selection.
- βΈProficient in SAS + R + Python + SQL. Certified in Google Data Analytics + AWS Cloud Practitioner.
What Gets You Rejected
- βSlow exam progress or exam fails without explanation.
- βWeak technical modeling skills.
- βPoor documentation habits.
- βWeak communication of technical concepts.
- βBad-mouthing prior team or clients.
- βMissing SOA/CAS membership status.
- βInflexibility on new modeling techniques.
- βPoor understanding of business context.
Salary Negotiation Levers
- βBase + performance bonus + exam pass bonuses.
- βSign-on bonus $5-30k common (higher for experienced actuaries).
- βExam study support: paid study time (~100 hrs/exam), exam fees, prep materials.
- βContinuing education budget + conference attendance.
- βPTO (4-6 weeks common).
- βRemote work flexibility.
- βRetirement match + benefits.
- βSigning bonus for FSA/FCAS achievement ($5-25k).
- βConsulting vs in-house comp trade-offs.
Actuary Resume Review β $29
Personalized resume review from someone who has hired actuarys. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.
- β Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
- β Rewrite suggestions for weak bullets
- β Missing skills / keywords flagged
- β Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
- β 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it
Actuary Career Kit β $19
- β All 12 interview questions with expert answers
- β 10 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
- β Interview format intel for 8 top employers
- β 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
- β Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
- β 30β60β90 day plan for your first role
- β Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
- β Detailed salary negotiation script
- β Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
- β Downloadable PDF for offline access
- β Instant access, no expiration, no subscription
One-time purchase. 7-day refund guarantee.
Sample reviews β real customer reviews will appear here as they come in.
βThe interview question bank saved me. I got the exact question about 'walking through a DCF' at my Goldman Sachs superday, verbatim.β
β Anonymous, Financial Analyst
βCopy-paste negotiation emails are worth the price alone. I used the 'accepting with counter' template and got an extra $8k signing bonus.β
β Anonymous, Software Developer
βThe 30-60-90 day plan for a new grad RN was better than the orientation my hospital gave. Wish I'd bought this in nursing school.β
β Anonymous, Registered Nurse
Actuary Salary by State
Best Cities (cost-adjusted) βSalary Map β Click a state for details
Top Paying States
| State | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $166,800 | +28.3% |
| District of Columbia | $166,230 | +27.9% |
| New York | $156,480 | +20.4% |
| New Jersey | $142,800 | +9.8% |
| Alabama | $136,950 | +5.3% |
| Arizona | $135,870 | +4.5% |
| Washington | $134,720 | +3.6% |
| Utah | $132,720 | +2.1% |
| Nevada | $132,370 | +1.8% |
| Florida | $132,110 | +1.6% |
Actuary Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $194,130 | +49.3% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $175,330 | +34.9% |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $166,800 | +28.3% |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $163,350 | +25.7% |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $161,460 | +24.2% |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $144,680 | +11.3% |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $143,430 | +10.3% |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $142,180 | +9.4% |
| New Haven, CT | $141,020 | +8.5% |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $139,810 | +7.5% |