What education do actuaries need?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists bachelor's degree as the typical education to start. The federal crosswalk from fields of study to jobs links one program here to actuaries: Statistics (Bachelor's).

Actuaries: Pay by State and the Programs That Lead There

Q: Which state pays actuaries the most?

Connecticut, at a median of $166,800. After adjusting for prices, Connecticut is highest, at $160,988 in US-average prices.

26,670 jobs in the US
Typical education to start: bachelor's degree
Occupation code 15-2011

BLS wages May 2025 · BLS projections 2025 to 2035 · BEA price parities 2024

The short answer

Actuaries earn a median of $130,000 a year in the US, across all experience levels. Pay is highest in Connecticut ($166,800) and lowest in Puerto Rico ($68,100). After adjusting for prices, Connecticut is highest ($160,988) and Louisiana lowest ($91,671). Jobs are projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,500 openings a year across the US.

Median pay$130,000US, all experience levels

Bottom 10% earn under$78,570US

Top 10% earn over$215,100US

Projected job growth9%2025 to 2035, about 1,500 openings a year

Pay for actuaries by state

Median pay across all experience levels. "After prices" divides it by the state's price level (US average = 100), so states can be compared by what the pay buys.

#	State	Median pay	After prices	Jobs	Bottom 10%	Top 10%
1	Connecticut	$166,800	$160,988	1,380	$99,430	$228,810
2	District of Columbia	$166,230	$151,254	160	$116,690	$207,450
3	New York	$156,480	$144,995	2,630	$82,250	$277,800
4	New Jersey	$142,800	$131,244	1,260	$86,090	$224,700
5	Alabama	$136,950	$154,183	190	$71,240	$160,740
6	Arizona	$135,870	$134,956	200	$85,750	$202,130
7	Washington	$134,720	$125,891	360	$71,140	$209,940
8	Utah	$132,720	$134,245	180	$84,010	$171,270
9	Nevada	$132,370	$132,398	120	$77,090	$207,580
10	Florida	$132,110	$127,749	1,300	$80,450	$206,700
11	Virginia	$131,900	$130,460	440	$82,120	$212,740
12	Wisconsin	$131,640	$139,901	890	$76,890	$204,790
13	California	$130,510	$117,874	1,280	$83,510	$219,490
14	Oregon	$130,380	$126,140	210	$81,780	$203,790
15	Missouri	$129,220	$142,286	390	$77,780	$207,080
16	North Carolina	$128,730	$136,474	610	$72,420	$193,830
17	Iowa	$128,690	$146,635	530	$81,610	$173,480
18	Minnesota	$128,100	$129,891	1,170	$79,920	$223,300
19	Maryland	$126,950	$120,952	580	$76,670	$185,220
20	Massachusetts	$126,040	$119,179	Not reported	$83,660	$179,750
21	Pennsylvania	$125,040	$128,152	1,710	$78,050	$201,820
22	Kansas	$125,010	$138,795	180	$75,260	$207,040
23	Colorado	$120,440	$116,873	500	$78,610	$183,540
24	Kentucky	$120,400	$133,542	70	$87,260	$215,580
25	Maine	$119,620	$123,256	80	$85,200	$166,220
26	Illinois	$115,430	$115,479	2,280	$77,790	$202,160
27	Rhode Island	$111,090	$108,614	100	$76,120	$182,530
28	Ohio	$110,980	$119,624	1,090	$77,110	$175,190
29	Oklahoma	$109,760	$124,950	70	$78,310	$161,910
30	Tennessee	$108,930	$118,570	300	$74,350	$248,240
31	Mississippi	$106,210	$122,146	40	$63,480	$256,130
32	Texas	$105,020	$108,204	1,750	$62,870	$189,320
33	Nebraska	$102,790	$114,081	270	$61,190	$161,870
34	Indiana	$100,690	$107,887	780	$65,690	$142,220
35	Michigan	$100,640	$104,597	570	$65,240	$170,450
36	Louisiana	$80,860	$91,671	40	$69,790	$206,870
37	Puerto Rico	$68,100	Not available	30	$47,910	$103,040

State names link to the state's college page. Puerto Rico has no BEA price level, so its pay is not adjusted. BLS publishes no median pay for actuaries in 15 other states and territories.

Programs that lead to this job

The federal crosswalk from fields of study to jobs links these programs to actuaries. Figures are medians across each program type's US programs. Program names link to the national ranking.

Program	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
Statistics (Bachelor's)	48	$61,234	$20,281

Program figures are first-year pay for new graduates. The job's median pay covers every experience level.

Common questions

Actuaries earn a median of $130,000 a year in the US, across all experience levels (May 2025). The bottom 10% earn less than $78,570, and the top 10% more than $215,100.

About this data

Pay is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025. It covers all experience levels and all industries, and leaves out self-employed workers.
Projections are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections for 2025 to 2035, for the whole US.
Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.
Program figures are College Scorecard medians across programs, and only include students who received federal financial aid.

Sources

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study files, June 2026 release