Mathematicians
Median $126,710
Occupation · SOC 15-2011
Actuaries: pay and where the jobs are
What actuaries earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$130,000 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $141,480
- Median hourly wage
- $62.50
- Mean hourly wage
- $68.02
- Employment
- 26,670
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 15-2011.
Check your pay
See where your pay falls among actuaries nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Enter your pay to see where it falls.
Use these numbers
How much do actuaries make?
The median annual wage for actuaries was $130,000 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $78,570 and the highest-paid 10% more than $215,100. As an hourly rate, the median is $62.50. About 26,670 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Connecticut ($166,800), District of Columbia ($166,230) and New York ($156,480). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Alabama.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for actuaries looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $78,570 | $37.77 | $6,548 | $5,342 |
| 25th percentile | $97,680 | $46.96 | $8,140 | $6,462 |
| Median | $130,000 | $62.50 | $10,833 | $8,343 |
| 75th percentile | $170,650 | $82.04 | $14,221 | $10,659 |
| 90th percentile | $215,100 | $103.41 | $17,925 | $13,191 |
Actuaries: pay by state
37 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$111,845 take-home in national prices
2
$111,651 take-home in national prices
3
$108,233 take-home in national prices
Where a median actuarie paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 1,380 | $166,800 | $99,430 | $228,810 | $115,682 | $111,651 |
| District of Columbia | 160 | $166,230 | $116,690 | $207,450 | $113,723 | $103,478 |
| New York | 2,630 | $156,480 | $82,250 | $277,800 | $109,585 | $101,542 |
| New Jersey | 1,260 | $142,800 | $86,090 | $224,700 | $101,173 | $92,986 |
| Alabama | 190 | $136,950 | $71,240 | $160,740 | $99,344 | $111,845 |
| Arizona | 200 | $135,870 | $85,750 | $202,130 | $101,130 | $100,450 |
| Washington | 360 | $134,720 | $71,140 | $209,940 | $101,478 | $94,828 |
| Utah | 180 | $132,720 | $84,010 | $171,270 | $96,074 | $97,178 |
| Nevada | 120 | $132,370 | $77,090 | $207,580 | $101,741 | $101,762 |
| Florida | 1,300 | $132,110 | $80,450 | $206,700 | $101,563 | $98,210 |
| Virginia | 440 | $131,900 | $82,120 | $212,740 | $94,650 | $93,616 |
| Wisconsin | 890 | $131,640 | $76,890 | $204,790 | $94,936 | $100,894 |
| California | 1,280 | $130,510 | $83,510 | $219,490 | $90,881 | $82,081 |
| Oregon | 210 | $130,380 | $81,780 | $203,790 | $89,323 | $86,419 |
| Missouri | 390 | $129,220 | $77,780 | $207,080 | $94,452 | $104,002 |
| North Carolina | 610 | $128,730 | $72,420 | $193,830 | $94,625 | $100,317 |
| Iowa | 530 | $128,690 | $81,610 | $173,480 | $94,987 | $108,233 |
| Minnesota | 1,170 | $128,100 | $79,920 | $223,300 | $91,036 | $92,309 |
| Maryland | 580 | $126,950 | $76,670 | $185,220 | $92,201 | $87,845 |
| Massachusetts | Not published | $126,040 | $83,660 | $179,750 | $90,753 | $85,812 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,710 | $125,040 | $78,050 | $201,820 | $92,805 | $95,114 |
| Kansas | 180 | $125,010 | $75,260 | $207,040 | $90,534 | $100,518 |
| Colorado | 500 | $120,440 | $78,610 | $183,540 | $88,439 | $85,819 |
| Kentucky | 70 | $120,400 | $87,260 | $215,580 | $89,435 | $99,197 |
| Maine | 80 | $119,620 | $85,200 | $166,220 | $85,593 | $88,195 |
| Illinois | 2,280 | $115,430 | $77,790 | $202,160 | $84,466 | $84,501 |
| Rhode Island | 100 | $111,090 | $76,120 | $182,530 | $82,207 | $80,374 |
| Ohio | 1,090 | $110,980 | $77,110 | $175,190 | $84,289 | $90,854 |
| Oklahoma | 70 | $109,760 | $78,310 | $161,910 | $81,652 | $92,953 |
| Tennessee | 300 | $108,930 | $74,350 | $248,240 | $85,462 | $93,025 |
| Mississippi | 40 | $106,210 | $63,480 | $256,130 | $80,032 | $92,041 |
| Texas | 1,750 | $105,020 | $62,870 | $189,320 | $82,712 | $85,220 |
| Nebraska | 270 | $102,790 | $61,190 | $161,870 | $77,345 | $85,841 |
| Indiana | 780 | $100,690 | $65,690 | $142,220 | $76,725 | $82,209 |
| Michigan | 570 | $100,640 | $65,240 | $170,450 | $75,604 | $78,576 |
| Louisiana | 40 | $80,860 | $69,790 | $206,870 | $63,675 | $72,189 |
| Puerto Rico | 30 | $68,100 | $47,910 | $103,040 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 15-2011. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.