Health Actuary Salary in 2026
Health actuaries analyze financial risks in healthcare, designing insurance products, setting premiums, and forecasting medical costs. They ensure the financial sustainability of health plans.
Median Salary
$116,000
$9,667/mo
Entry Level
$71,000
starting pay
Senior Level
$159,000
experienced
Job Growth
+24%
10-yr outlook
Health Actuary Overview
Health actuaries analyze financial risks in healthcare, designing insurance products, setting premiums, and forecasting medical costs. They ensure the financial sustainability of health plans.
Education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
3-5 years
Industry
Finance
Total Jobs (US)
12K
5-Year Growth
+20%
Category
Finance
Hourly Rate
$55.77/hr
Monthly Pay
$9,667
Reviewed May 18, 2026
2026 Health Actuary Salary Market Notes
Market context
Health actuary compensation is driven by insurance carriers, consulting firms, healthcare analytics teams, Medicare/Medicaid work, ACA pricing, employer benefits, and value-based-care risk modeling.
What drives higher pay
The strongest salary drivers are actuarial exam progress, ASA/FSA credentials, pricing, reserving, healthcare claims analytics, risk adjustment, SQL/SAS/R/Python, and communication with finance, product, and regulatory teams.
Location note
Hartford, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, and Minneapolis show strong demand because they cluster insurers, benefits consultants, managed-care organizations, and actuarial consulting practices.
Career move
A practical salary move is to combine exam progress with healthcare data engineering or risk-adjustment specialization. Fully credentialed actuaries with strong modeling and stakeholder communication can command a much wider range.
Use BLS actuary wage data as the baseline, then compare against health-specific actuarial postings because healthcare credentials and exam progress materially change pay.
Health Actuary Salary Calculator
Adjust your state and experience level to see the estimated Health Actuary salary in your area.
Mid Career (5-9 yrs)
Estimated Health Actuary Salary
$129,000
$10,750/month · $4,962/biweekly · $62.02/hr
Health Actuary Salary Range
Salary distribution from entry-level to top earners in the Health Actuary field.
Entry-level Health Actuarys earn around $71,000, while the top 10% earn $189,000 or more.
Top Paying States for Health Actuarys
| State | Est. Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $133,000 | +$17,000 |
| Connecticut | $128,000 | +$12,000 |
| Illinois | $121,000 | +$5,000 |
| Minnesota | $118,000 | +$2,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $116,000 | $0 |
Top Paying Cities for Health Actuarys
| City | Est. Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $137,000 | +$21,000 |
| Hartford | $123,000 | +$7,000 |
| Chicago | $122,000 | +$6,000 |
| Minneapolis | $119,000 | +$3,000 |
| Philadelphia | $118,000 | +$2,000 |
Required Skills & Certifications
Key Skills
Certifications
Health Actuary Career Progression
Typical salary growth path for a Health Actuary from entry level to expert.
$71,000
0-2 years
$115,000
3-7 years
$159,000
8-14 years
$219,000
15+ years
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Health Actuary Salary FAQ
Methodology & Data Sources — Health Actuary Salary
How we calculate Health Actuary salary data: Our figures combine BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for the national salary baseline, adjusted by cost-of-living multipliers from the C2ER Cost of Living Index. State-level estimates use BLS regional wage survey data weighted by occupation employment counts. We calibrate entry/senior/top-level tiers against BLS percentile distributions (P10, P25, P75, P90) for this occupation.
- National median salary: $116,000 — sourced from BLS OEWS for SOC code corresponding to Health Actuary in the Finance sector.
- Entry-level ($71,000) and senior-level ($159,000) figures reflect BLS P25 and P75 percentile wage estimates adjusted for experience.
- Job outlook: +24% projected growth through 2034, from BLS Employment Projections program. Approximately 12K total positions nationwide.
- 5-year salary growth: 20% over the past 5 years, derived from BLS Employment Cost Index for Finance sector wages.
- Education requirement: Bachelor's Degree, per BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entry for this occupation.
- State-level estimates use BLS regional CPI-U data and OEWS metropolitan area wage surveys, normalized to the national median of $116,000.
Authoritative US data sources for Health Actuary compensation:
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — national and metro-area salary data
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Health Actuary job projections, education, and career outlook
- BLS Employment Projections — 10-year occupation growth and decline data
- BLS Employment Cost Index — quarterly compensation trend data for Finance
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) — regional inflation for cost-of-living wage adjustments
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 summary — 2026 federal tax brackets and standard deductions
Disclaimer: Health Actuary salary figures are statistical estimates for general guidance. Actual compensation depends on employer, location, negotiation, specific skills (Healthcare Analytics, Risk Modeling, Pricing), certifications, and industry conditions. Always verify with multiple sources including current job listings, recruiter data, and direct employer offers before making career decisions.
Reviewed by Brazora Monk · Last updated May 17, 2026 · BLS data current as of latest OEWS annual release
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