How much do actuaries in NYC get paid?
Hey all,
We're working on highlighting our non-tech data a bit more regularly as we move into 2026, and this time around we pulled 157 NYC actuary salary submissions and mapped out how pay changes by experience. One thing really jumps out: the biggest raise in an actuary’s career tends to happen early.
Median total comp by experience (NYC only):
- 0–1 yrs: $84K
- 2–3 yrs: $115K (+36%)
- 4–5 yrs: $139K (+21%)
- 6–7 yrs: $170K (+22%)
- 8+ yrs: $223K (+31%)
That 2–3 year jump is larger than anything later on and it doesn’t seem to be a coincidence. From the data, this lines up with when many actuaries pass enough exams to earn their ASA (Associate of the Society of Actuaries). Before that, most people are still analysts doing entry-level work while grinding through exams. After getting your ASA, you’re credentialed and can sign off on real actuarial work, leading to pay resetting pretty quickly.
After that point, growth looks steadier. Through mid-career (roughly 4–7 YOE), median comp grows around ~20–22% every couple of years. Exams continue, responsibility increases, but there isn’t another single credential step change like ASA.
There’s a second jump at 8+ years, where median comp hits $223K. This seems to line up with a mix of Fellow status (FSA/FCAS), leadership roles, and specialization. Variance also widens a lot here, which is pretty consistent with how comp growth works in all fields as you get further up the experience chain. In this bucket, the 75th percentile is ~$257K and the 90th percentile is just under $300K.
Overall, the median path in NYC goes from ~$84K to ~$223K, which is about a 165% increase over a career. Not explosive every year, but fairly predictable once you understand how exams and credentials factor in, and definitely a solid, structured, and predictable career path for a non-tech role.
Some data notes:
- NYC only to control for cost of living
- Data from 2024–2025
- Medians with 25th-75th percentiles shown in the chart; full table includes P10–P90 (can share in comments if there’s interest)
- n = 157 total submissions for NYC-based actuaries
For any of our actuaries out there, does this line up with how it’s looked for you or your peers? And for our non-actuaries, as we highlight non-tech roles, I’m open to feedback on how to frame these data dives so they stay useful and relevant for our tech readers, so just let me know in the comments!
View more actuary data here: https://www.levels.fyi/t/actuary
