Actuary Salary Progression

Median Salary

$138,000

Middle 50% Range

$101,825 – $178,200

P25 – P75

Job Postings

5,803

with salary data

Latest Data

Oct 2026

How actuarial pay progresses

Actuarial salary progression is not a single ladder. Early-career roles usually pay for technical execution, exam progress, and analytical potential. Mid-career roles pay more for ownership of models, assumptions, pricing, reserving, and stakeholder communication. Senior roles pay for judgment, leadership, client or executive accountability, and scarce specialty expertise.

How to use these benchmarks

Use seniority, years of experience, credential requirements, and exam requirements together. A role requiring fellowship may still pay differently depending on whether it is in P&C, health, life, retirement, consulting, a carrier, or a high-cost market.

Salary by Seniority Level

Segment	Median	P25 – P75	Postings
C-Suite	$250,000	$230,000 – $315,000	5
Vice President	$230,000	$191,500 – $265,000	259
Director	$190,500	$170,562 – $216,300	743
Senior Manager	$170,604	$146,000 – $267,650	364
Manager	$163,377	$140,250 – $196,500	722
Individual Contributor	$119,000	$95,600 – $147,500	3,163
Intern	$58,240	$49,920 – $67,080	383

Salary by Years of Experience

Segment	Median	P25 – P75	Postings
16+ years	$239,122	$226,625 – $262,970	15
11-15 years	$235,500	$196,750 – $266,850	156
6-10 years	$186,300	$160,000 – $220,250	1,570
3-5 years	$138,250	$119,250 – $159,550	1,834
0-2 years	$101,400	$87,155 – $121,066	1,007

Salary by Credential Requirement

Segment	Median	P25 – P75	Postings
FCIA	$223,800	$223,800 – $223,800	1
MAAA	$201,775	$153,550 – $256,341	4
FSA	$182,700	$152,200 – $217,160	1,185
FCAS	$180,000	$155,000 – $215,000	466
ACAS	$165,385	$141,500 – $190,000	604
Other_us_actuarial	$159,500	$130,100 – $197,000	245
ASA	$154,900	$131,350 – $191,800	1,207
CERA	$144,650	$120,125 – $169,175	2
Student_cas_soa	$111,500	$92,560 – $137,500	965

Salary by Minimum Exams Required

Based on exam requirements stated in job postings, not a guaranteed raise per exam.

Segment	Median	P25 – P75	Postings
8 exams required	$213,562	$187,844 – $239,281	2
10 exams required	$172,500	$148,645 – $188,121	7
5 exams required	$155,000	$130,000 – $220,250	240
Not specified	$150,000	$117,500 – $187,750	4,126
9 exams required	$142,275	$125,975 – $176,175	4
6 exams required	$141,500	$120,550 – $162,125	17
4 exams required	$129,000	$123,000 – $149,150	255
7 exams required	$119,250	$113,675 – $132,750	11
3 exams required	$111,500	$97,552 – $121,000	251
2 exams required	$106,850	$98,190 – $149,150	339

Related Salary Data

Salary by credential

More salary benchmarks

Frequently Asked Questions

How does actuary salary progress over a career?

Actuary salary typically rises as a role moves from analysis and model execution into ownership of assumptions, pricing, reserving, valuation, client communication, people leadership, and credentialed sign-off responsibility.

What is the current median actuary salary?

Across 5,803 Acturhire postings with salary data, the current median actuary salary is $138,000.

Do exams or credentials matter more for salary progression?

Both matter, but neither explains salary alone. Exam progress and credentials can open higher-responsibility roles, while seniority, specialty, location, management scope, and employer type also affect compensation.