Actuary.
Philadelphia.
$139,000
median salary, 10% above the national average
$100,000 to $182,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Philadelphia is 9% more expensive than the national average. For Actuarys, that shakes out to a median of $139,000, with the full range spanning $100,000 to $182,000. Exam progress is the single most predictive salary factor for actuaries. Know the range before you walk in. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Actuary in Philadelphia, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $127,770 for Actuaries (SOC 15-2011) in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, based on 780 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$82,750
25th percentile
$100,300
Median
$127,770
75th percentile
$167,550
90th percentile
$218,360
Workers surveyed
780
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Actuaries (SOC 15-2011) rather than Actuary specifically. The Philadelphia range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-2011Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $125,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$90,000
to $111,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$118,000
to $146,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$153,000
to $181,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$174,000
to $215,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $39,000 to the total package.
Base
$139,000
Equity
$22,000
Bonus
$14,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $178,000
How Philadelphia compares.
Philadelphia, PA
$139,000
Cost of living: 9% above average
National Average
$126,000
Philadelphia is $13,000 above
Actuary salary by city.
Salary by role in Philadelphia.
What you should know.
Here is what the Actuary market actually looks like in Philadelphia. Philadelphia combines a robust healthcare and life sciences sector with established finance and higher education institutions. The city's pharmaceutical corridor is among the strongest in the country. Tech growth has accelerated, particularly in health tech and enterprise software, offering salaries that stretch further than in nearby New York. Exam progress is the single most predictive salary factor for actuaries. Each passed SOA or CAS exam adds approximately $5,000 to $15,000 in base salary. Fully credentialed fellows earn 40 to 60% more than entry-level associates. Consulting actuaries typically earn more than insurance company actuaries at equivalent experience levels.
Entry-level actuarial analysts with zero to two exams earn $65,000 to $85,000. Associates (ASA) earn $90,000 to $120,000. Fellows (FSA/FCAS) reach $130,000 to $180,000. Chief actuaries and actuarial directors earn $175,000 to $280,000. Consulting principals can exceed $350,000. In Philadelphia, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Exam bonuses of $2,000 to $5,000 per passed exam are standard, plus paid study time (typically 100 to 200 hours). Annual bonuses of 10 to 20% are common. Consulting firms offer higher variable pay. Many employers cover exam fees, study materials, and raise base salary with each credential milestone. And on the tax side: pennsylvania has a flat 3.07% state income tax, but Philadelphia adds a 3.75% city wage tax for residents. This combined local burden is worth factoring into salary negotiations. When someone quotes you $139,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Account for the Philadelphia wage tax in your ask. Request a 5 to 8% premium over suburban offers to offset the city's local tax on all earned income. The range for Actuarys in Philadelphia runs from $100,000 to $182,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
Actuary salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Philadelphia.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Actuary Salary in Philadelphia, PA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/actuary/philadelphia
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