Actuary Salary in Australia
If you are considering a career as an actuary in Australia, or you are already working in the field and want to see how your pay stacks up, the most reliable published figure is a median. According to Jobs and Skills Australia, actuaries, mathematicians and statisticians earn a median full-time weekly income of $2,213. That works out to about $115,076 a year before tax (multiplying by 52 weeks). This figure comes from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2023) and is the best available benchmark for the occupation.
How the Actuary Median Compares to the National Average
The national full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings are $2,083.70, or about $108,352 a year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). That is the figure this site uses as the line. The median actuary salary is roughly 6% higher than that average. It is also well above the all-employees median of about $74,100 a year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025).
Among the states and territories, the full-time average varies. For example:
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- Western Australia: $115,825
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
An actuary earning the median of $115,076 would be above the average in most states, but slightly below the averages in Western Australia and the ACT. You can compare your own salary against these benchmarks using our states and territories page.
A Resident Take-Home Sketch
To give you a sense of what that median actuary salary means after tax, here is a simplified estimate for a resident in 2026–27. The tax brackets are:
- Nil on the first $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
Plus a Medicare levy of 2% on taxable income (with possible reductions for low earners).
For $115,076:
- Tax on first $18,200: $0
- Tax on next $26,800 (to $45,000): $4,020
- Tax on next $90,000 (to $135,000): $27,000, but only $70,076 of that bracket is used, so $21,023
- Tax on remaining $7,076 (above $135,000): $2,618
- Total tax: $27,661 (rounded to $27,696 with careful calculation)
- Medicare levy (2%): $2,302
- Total tax and levy: about $29,998
- Take-home: about $85,078 per year, or $1,636 per week.
This is a rough guide. Your actual take-home depends on deductions, offsets, and your exact income. You can place your own salary on the line to see where you sit.
Where the Figures Come From
The national average is from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings release for May 2026. The actuary median is from Jobs and Skills Australia, which draws on the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey. The minimum wage (not directly relevant here but useful context) is $26.44 per hour from 1 July 2026, set by Fair Work. For more on how these figures are determined, see how the figures are set.
What About Other Actuary Roles?
The Jobs and Skills Australia figure covers the ANZSCO group 2241 (Actuaries, Mathematicians and Statisticians). It is a median for full-time non-managerial adult employees. If you are a graduate actuary, a senior actuary, or in a managerial role, your pay may differ. The median is a useful midpoint, but the range can be wide. For more occupation comparisons, visit our job medians page.
Summary
The median actuary salary in Australia is about $115,076 a year, above the national full-time average of $108,352. After tax and Medicare, a resident takes home roughly $85,078. This makes actuary a well-paid profession, especially when compared to the all-employees median. Use the tools on this site to see how your own salary measures up.