Actuary Salary Progression

Median Salary

$139,500

Middle 50% Range

$105,778 – $179,345

P25 – P75

Job Postings

4,778

with salary data

Latest Data

Aug 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	$232,200	$195,000 – $265,000	220
Director	$188,125	$170,000 – $216,300	632
Senior Manager	$171,125	$146,000 – $267,650	249
Manager	$163,254	$141,500 – $201,000	633
Unknown	$147,000	$106,056 – $172,875	82
Individual Contributor	$119,250	$96,000 – $146,590	2,718
Intern	$57,200	$48,880 – $67,080	241

Salary by Years of Experience

Segment	Median	P25 – P75	Postings
16+ years	$253,935	$226,217 – $262,970	12
11-15 years	$235,000	$187,750 – $266,850	132
6-10 years	$186,084	$159,545 – $220,250	1,360
3-5 years	$138,000	$119,250 – $157,740	1,534
0-2 years	$101,400	$87,098 – $118,965	797
Unknown years	$84,948	$62,400 – $125,000	943

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
CERA	$193,700	$193,700 – $193,700	1
FSA	$181,900	$152,200 – $212,495	996
FCAS	$180,500	$155,000 – $215,000	360
ACAS	$167,500	$144,000 – $192,000	481
ASA	$153,550	$130,100 – $187,750	1,008
Other_us_actuarial	$153,550	$126,950 – $192,800	204
Student_cas_soa	$112,500	$94,350 – $139,088	847

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
9 exams required	$157,500	$140,125 – $194,850	3
5 exams required	$156,300	$130,000 – $220,250	220
Not specified	$150,000	$119,250 – $186,300	3,433
10 exams required	$148,645	$140,436 – $160,810	4
6 exams required	$141,500	$114,512 – $160,000	14
4 exams required	$130,260	$123,000 – $149,150	236
7 exams required	$119,250	$113,675 – $128,725	7
3 exams required	$109,294	$96,831 – $120,750	194
2 exams required	$103,275	$96,000 – $118,965	258

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 4,778 Acturhire postings with salary data, the current median actuary salary is $139,500.

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.