Computer and Mathematical Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Above-baseline growth SOC 15-2011

Actuaries

Projected +22% employment change leads this card; pay sits next to Computer Network Architects, Web Developers, Database Administrators, Computer Systems Analysts.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Actuaries: Computer Network Architects ($134K) , Web Developers ($93K) , Database Administrators ($105K) , Computer Systems Analysts ($106K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Actuaries publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 15-2011 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Ascertain premium rates required and cash reserves and liabilities necessary to ensure payment of future benefits
  2. 2. Collaborate with programmers, underwriters, accounts, claims experts, and senior management to help companies develop plans for new lines…
  3. 3. Analyze statistical information to estimate mortality, accident, sickness, disability, and retirement rates
  4. 4. Design, review, and help administer insurance, annuity and pension plans, determining financial soundness and calculating premiums
  5. 5. Determine, or help determine, company policy, and explain complex technical matters to company executives, government officials, sharehol…
  6. 6. Construct probability tables for events such as fires, natural disasters, and unemployment, based on analysis of statistical data and oth…
  7. 7. Provide advice to clients on a contract basis, working as a consultant
  8. 8. Determine equitable basis for distributing surplus earnings under participating insurance and annuity contracts in mutual companies
  9. 9. Negotiate terms and conditions of reinsurance with other companies
  10. 10. Provide expertise to help financial institutions manage risks and maximize returns associated with investment products or credit offerings
  11. 11. Testify before public agencies on proposed legislation affecting businesses
  12. 12. Determine policy contract provisions for each type of insurance

Actuaries: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 15-2011 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 4.3 ; lead knowledge Mathematics. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 4.3
  2. 2. Mathematics 4.3
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 4.3
  4. 4. Judgment and Decision Making 4.3
  5. 5. Active Listening 4.0
  6. 6. Complex Problem Solving 4.0
  7. 7. Systems Evaluation 4.0
  8. 8. Speaking 3.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mathematics 4.9
  2. 2. Computers and Electronics 4.0
  3. 3. Economics and Accounting 3.8
  4. 4. English Language 3.7
  5. 5. Law and Government 3.0
  6. 6. Administration and Management 2.9
Projected employment change 2024-2034
↑ +22%
much faster than average (3.1%)
National median $130,000/yr
$130K
National median
2,400
Annual openings
26,670
Estimated US jobs
Computer Network Architects
Highest-pay peer · $134K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Actuaries

1. New York $156,480
2. New Jersey $142,800
3. Nevada $132,370
4. Arizona $135,870
5. District of Columbia $166,230
6. Connecticut $166,800
7. Alabama $136,950
8. Utah $132,720
9. Florida $132,110
10. Washington $134,720

Other Computer and Mathematical Occupations titles

  1. 1. Database Administrators $104,620
  2. 2. Web Developers $92,650
  3. 3. Computer Systems Analysts $105,850
  4. 4. Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $104,300
  5. 5. Web and Digital Interface Designers $104,000
  6. 6. Computer Network Architects $134,050

BLS projects +22% employment change for Actuaries (2024-2034), much faster than average vs the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. Published median pay is $130,000.

BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical entry education. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal employer rules. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: New York at $156,480. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Computer Network Architects at $134,050. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Actuaries pay-rank #5 in Computer and Mathematical Occupations

Among 21 detailed Computer and Mathematical Occupations with a published OEWS median, Actuaries is pay-rank #5, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 15-2011 · national median $130,000 · upper third of Computer and Mathematical Occupations (#5/21). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Actuaries salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 15-2011

New York · top state for Actuaries

$156K published median

New Jersey · #2 state pay

$143K · behind New York

Computer Network Architects

Highest-pay peer vs Actuaries · $134K

Web Developers

Lower-pay peer beside Actuaries · $93K

Compare Actuaries

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Actuaries with another occupation →

Growth and outlook next reads

Fastest-Growing Rankings

National projection leaders

Highest-Paying Careers

Where growth meets pay

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Computer and Mathematical Occupations titles sit near Actuaries at the top of the pay table? ▼
Actuaries is pay-rank #5 of 21 detailed Computer and Mathematical Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Information Security Analysts ($129K), Mathematicians ($127K), Computer Network Architects ($134K), Software Developers ($136K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do actuaries do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Actuaries. Leading ones include: Ascertain premium rates required and cash reserves and liabilities necessary to ensure payment of future benefits; Collaborate with programmers, underwriters, accounts, claims experts, and senior management to help companies develop plans for new lines…; Analyze statistical information to estimate mortality, accident, sickness, disability, and retirement rates; Design, review, and help administer insurance, annuity and pension plans, determining financial soundness and calculating premiums. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for actuaries? ▼
For SOC 15-2011, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.3), Mathematics (4.3), Critical Thinking (4.3), Judgment and Decision Making (4.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Mathematics, Computers and Electronics, Economics and Accounting. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Actuaries? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $130,000 as the national median for Actuaries. The published 10th-90th range is $78,570 to $215,100. Beside Computer Network Architects ($134,050), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
How fast is Actuaries projected to grow? ▼
BLS Employment Projections put Actuaries at +22% change for 2024-2034, with about 2,400 annual openings. Versus the all-occupations baseline (3.1%): much faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Actuaries? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Actuaries. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Actuaries? ▼
New York ($156,480), New Jersey ($142,800), Nevada ($132,370) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Actuaries card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 15-2011. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Actuaries. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics