Actuary Salary Progression

Median Salary

$137,600

Middle 50% Range

$103,762 – $175,000

P25 – P75

Job Postings

3,910

with salary data

Latest Data

Jul 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	$220,971 – $310,775	3
Vice President	$225,950	$191,500 – $266,362	186
Director	$187,508	$167,500 – $215,250	513
Senior Manager	$183,600	$147,500 – $267,650	202
Manager	$159,550	$140,250 – $190,000	519
Unknown	$147,596	$86,381 – $176,500	71
Individual Contributor	$118,215	$95,000 – $144,000	2,255
Intern	$52,000	$46,800 – $65,520	161

Salary by Years of Experience

Segment	Median	P25 – P75	Postings
16+ years	$262,970	$239,122 – $262,970	11
11-15 years	$237,125	$205,750 – $271,088	98
6-10 years	$185,000	$159,665 – $219,200	1,143
3-5 years	$136,850	$119,250 – $155,000	1,286
0-2 years	$100,000	$87,321 – $114,500	603
Unknown years	$83,800	$56,160 – $122,500	769

Salary by Credential Requirement

Segment	Median	P25 – P75	Postings
MAAA	$275,364	$275,364 – $275,364	1
FCIA	$223,800	$223,800 – $223,800	1
CERA	$193,700	$193,700 – $193,700	1
FCAS	$180,500	$157,688 – $235,000	320
FSA	$180,000	$150,312 – $205,800	811
ACAS	$167,500	$144,562 – $190,130	424
Other_us_actuarial	$154,298	$125,305 – $195,000	175
ASA	$152,200	$127,550 – $182,700	833
Student_cas_soa	$109,100	$92,075 – $127,980	654

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	$265,000	$265,000 – $265,000	1
9 exams required	$157,500	$140,125 – $194,850	3
Not specified	$150,312	$118,215 – $186,050	2,923
10 exams required	$148,645	$140,436 – $160,810	4
5 exams required	$144,830	$124,375 – $216,562	150
6 exams required	$141,500	$108,562 – $150,000	12
4 exams required	$127,680	$120,380 – $149,150	175
7 exams required	$123,100	$116,062 – $129,612	6
3 exams required	$107,965	$95,600 – $120,000	167
2 exams required	$101,400	$91,675 – $110,250	185

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 3,910 Acturhire postings with salary data, the current median actuary salary is $137,600.

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.