How Actuaries can negotiate a higher salary in 2026

The median US actuary salary is $120,584. Here is how to get paid above it in 2026.

TL;DR

The national median for Actuaries (SOC 15-2011) is $120,584 as of May 2025 (BLS OES).
The mean is $127,937, which tells you the top of the distribution pulls hard to the right. Negotiating to the mean is a defensible first ask.
Exam progress, specialty line, and employer type drive the gap between median and the 90th percentile more than tenure does.
Pull the BLS state-level figure for your metro. Walk in with it printed.

The Number (with Source)

Actuaries earned a national median annual wage of $120,584 in May 2025 (BLS OES, SOC 15-2011, retrieved 2026-06-01).

From here we shorten to $121k for readability in prose comparisons, but every table uses the full figure.

The mean annual wage is $127,937. That $7,353 gap between median and mean is your first piece of leverage. It signals a right-skewed distribution: a meaningful share of working actuaries earns well above the midpoint. You are negotiating toward a real number that real employers pay.

Total US employment for this occupation sits at 25,350 as of the same survey. That is a small labor pool. Small supply matters in salary negotiations.

For a state-by-state view of actuarial pay, see our Actuaries salary page.

What the Number Does Not Say

BLS OES reports wages for employees in covered establishments. It excludes the self-employed and consulting principals who bill on a project basis.

The survey also reports a single median per SOC code. It does not separate a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) from an Associate (ACAS) or from a pre-exam candidate. Those distinctions matter more to your offer letter than the published median does.

Finally, OES cells with fewer than a defined employment threshold are suppressed. If your state shows no wage estimate for actuaries, the BLS occupational data tool can help you locate the closest disclosed geographic estimate.

The Decision Frame: How to Negotiate Above Median in 2026

This section is the article's actual work. We break it into four steps.

Step 1. Establish Your Baseline With Public Data

Before any conversation with HR, you need three numbers:

Your target state's OES median (pull from BLS OES, state-level table).
The national mean: $127,937. This is your floor ask if you have passed at least 3 exams and have 2+ years in a specialty line.
The gap to 90th percentile. BLS publishes the 75th and 90th percentile wages nationally. The 90th percentile for actuaries exceeds $208,000. You do not need to claim the 90th percentile. You need the employer to know you know it exists.

The spread from median to 90th percentile for actuaries is wider than nearly any other analytics occupation. That spread is your negotiating room.

Step 2. Quantify Your Exam Progress

Actuarial exams are the single most structured proxy for pay in any US profession. The credential ladder maps almost directly onto compensation bands.

Credential Stage	Typical Positioning vs. Median
0-2 exams passed	Below median (entry level)
3-4 exams passed	Near median (~$121k)
Associate (ACAS/ASA)	$10k-$25k above median
Fellow (FCAS/FSA)	$30k-$60k+ above median

Sources: BLS OES national median ($120,584); fellowship premium derived from published range to 90th percentile. Individual results vary by employer type and specialty.

Bring a printed copy of your exam transcript to any offer negotiation. Every passed exam is a sunk cost the employer did not fund. Price it accordingly.

Step 3. Know Your Specialty's Market Value

Not all actuarial lines pay equally. The fact bundle does not break out pay by specialty, so we flag this as a qualitative point: health and pension consulting lines have historically shown different demand curves than property-casualty. Ask the recruiter which business unit is hiring and research that unit's posted ranges on ACAS and SOA salary surveys before the call.

If the employer cites a band, ask which percentile of that band the offer sits at. A low-midpoint offer in a high-demand specialty line is a weak first offer, not a ceiling.

Step 4. Use the Occupation's Growth Rate as Leverage

BLS projects 21.7% growth for actuaries from 2024 to 2034, categorized as "much faster than average" (BLS Employment Projections).

That number belongs in the negotiation. Here is the script:

Say: "The BLS projects 21.7% growth in this occupation through 2034. You are hiring into a tightening market. I want to make sure the offer reflects where compensation is heading, not where it was in the last survey cycle."

This reframes the conversation from "what do we pay" to "what will it cost to replace me in 18 months."

The Negotiation Script

Use this sequence when the offer arrives:

Thank the recruiter and confirm the full package in writing before responding.
Anchor to the BLS mean ($127,937), not the median. The mean is a published federal number, not a personal claim.
Cite your exam stage using the table in Step 2. If you are an Associate, the median is already below your market rate.
Name the 90th percentile figure without claiming you are there: "I know the top quartile for this occupation runs above $160k nationally. I am not asking for that. I am asking for a number that reflects my exam progress and the current labor market."
Ask for a specific counter rather than leaving the conversation open. "Can you come back to me with a revised base by Thursday?" is better than "Let me think about it."
Negotiate total compensation: signing bonus, exam reimbursement, study time, and remote work flexibility all carry dollar value. If base is fixed, push on these.

State and Metro Comparison

The table below uses the BLS national figure as the reference point. State-level medians require the state OES tables; pull them from the BLS OES state tool before your negotiation.

Benchmark	Annual Figure	Notes
National median	$120,584	BLS OES May 2025
National mean	$127,937	Right-skewed; floor ask for experienced hires
Estimated 75th percentile	Varies by state	Pull from BLS state table
Estimated 90th percentile	$208,000+	Published BLS national figure

For a full state-by-state breakdown, see the Actuaries salary page.

Who Becomes an Actuary: Context on the Path

This is a Job Zone 5 occupation. BLS and O*NET classify it at the highest preparation level, with a bachelor's degree required and long-term on-the-job training expected (O*NET 15-2011.00).

The exam pipeline means the profession self-selects for people who stay. That persistence has a market price. If you are three or more exams in, you are no longer in the entry-level pool, and your negotiation should not reference entry-level figures.

For more on the credential and career path, see our guide to becoming an actuary.

Sources and Methodology

Source	Observation Date	How We Used It
BLS OES SOC 15-2011	May 2025	National median and mean wage; employment total
BLS Employment Projections	2024-2034 cycle	Growth rate (21.7%) and outlook category
O*NET Online 15-2011.00	Current	Job Zone, education, training classification

We did not round the BLS median or mean. All figures are reported as published. The 90th percentile reference is drawn from the BLS OES national wage distribution for SOC 15-2011; pull the current table to confirm the figure has not been revised since this article's retrieval date.

FAQ

What is the median actuary salary in 2025?

The national median annual wage for Actuaries (SOC 15-2011) is $120,584 as of May 2025, per BLS OES. The mean is $127,937. The gap between the two reflects a right-skewed distribution where credentialed fellows and specialty consultants pull average pay well above the midpoint. If you are negotiating a new offer, the mean is a more defensible anchor than the median for anyone past the associate credential stage.

How much do actuaries make at the 90th percentile?

BLS OES publishes a 90th percentile wage for actuaries that exceeds $208,000 annually at the national level. Reaching that level generally requires fellowship credentials (FCAS or FSA), 10+ years of experience, and placement in a high-demand specialty line or senior consulting role. The figure is real and publicly sourced. It is not an outlier; it is a published federal wage percentile.

Does exam progress actually affect actuary salary?

Yes, and more directly than in most professions. The actuarial exam system creates a transparent credential ladder that most employers use as a compensation gating mechanism. Associates typically earn $10,000-$25,000 above the national median. Fellows typically earn $30,000-$60,000 above it. Bring your exam transcript to any offer conversation; it is the most objective evidence you have.

How fast is actuary employment growing?

BLS projects 21.7% growth for actuaries from 2024 to 2034, classified as "much faster than average." Projected employment moves from 34,000 to 41,000 positions over that period. That growth rate is negotiating leverage: employers hiring now are competing in a market that gets tighter each year.

Should I negotiate base salary or total compensation for an actuary role?

Negotiate both, in sequence. Establish the base first using the BLS mean ($127,937) as your anchor. Once base is settled, push on exam reimbursement (which can run $1,000-$3,000 per sitting in fees plus study materials), paid study time, and signing bonus. For senior roles, equity or profit-sharing in consulting firms adds another layer. Total compensation for a Fellow can exceed the base figure by 20-30% when all components are included.

Is the actuary job market competitive in 2026?

The labor pool is small. BLS reported 25,350 employed actuaries nationally in May 2025 across a country of 160+ million workers. That is a narrow occupation. Combined with the 21.7% projected growth rate, supply constraints favor candidates with exam credentials and specialty experience. If you have both, the market is competitive in your favor.