Actuary salary: how it compares with the national full-time average
Actuaries are among the higher-paid professionals in Australia. According to Jobs and Skills Australia, the median full-time weekly earnings for actuaries, mathematicians and statisticians is $2,213. That figure comes from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2023, and represents full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate.
To put that in perspective, the national full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). The median actuary earns about $115,076 per year (52 weeks), which is roughly $6,724 more than the average full-time worker. The full-time median for all occupations is about $90,532 per year, so actuaries sit well above that benchmark too.
Take-home pay sketch for a median actuary
Using the median weekly figure of $2,213, here is a rough take-home estimate for the 2026–27 financial year, before any deductions such as HELP repayments or salary sacrifice.
- Annual gross: $2,213 × 52 = $115,076
- Tax on $115,076 (2026–27 rates):
- $0–$18,200: nil
- $18,201–$45,000: $4,020 (15% of $26,800)
- $45,001–$115,076: $21,022.80 (30% of $70,076)
- Total tax: $25,042.80
- Medicare levy (2%): $2,301.52
- Total deductions: $27,344.32
- Estimated take-home: $87,731.68 per year, or about $1,687 per week
By comparison, a worker on the national full-time average of $108,352 would take home roughly $83,159 per year after similar tax and Medicare. The median actuary keeps about $4,573 more in hand each year.
How earnings are set
Actuaries are typically covered by individual arrangements or enterprise agreements. Nationally, 38.5% of employees have their pay set by individual arrangement, and 34.6% by collective agreement (ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025). The median hourly rate for actuaries is $58, far above the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour (Fair Work, from 1 July 2026). Most actuaries work full-time (91%), with average full-time hours of 42 per week.
State comparisons
The national full-time average varies by state and territory. The median actuary salary of $115,076 sits close to the Western Australia full-time average of $115,825 and above the New South Wales average of $109,658. It is below the Australian Capital Territory average of $119,090, which is the highest in the country. For a full breakdown of state averages, see States and territories.
How the figures are used on this site
This site uses the national full-time adult ordinary-time average as its reference line. The median actuary salary of $2,213 per week is above that line. If you want to see where your own salary sits, you can Place a salary on the line. For more detail on how the averages and medians are calculated, see How the figures are set.
Key points to remember
- The actuary median of $2,213 per week is from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2023, as reported by Jobs and Skills Australia. It is a median, not an average.
- The national full-time average of $2,083.70 per week is from ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026.
- The national full-time median is about $1,741 per week ($90,532 per year), and the all-employees median is about $1,425 per week ($74,100 per year) from ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025.
- The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week.
For more occupation comparisons, visit Job medians or Industry medians.