SOC 15-2011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Actuaries — Los Angeles
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA · 5 metro areas compared
At $127,970, median pay for Actuaries in Los Angeles, CA tracks the national median of $130,000 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow much faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +21.8%
- Openings per year
- 2,400
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $127,970, median pay for Actuaries in Los Angeles, CA tracks the national median of $130,000 closely. Pay ranges from under $83,820 at the tenth percentile to more than $213,010 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $103,040 to $188,390.
The area has 380 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.35 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, San Francisco records the highest median at $175,330. Of the 740 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 97th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $83,820 | −35.5% |
| 25th | $103,040 | −20.7% |
| Median (50th) | $127,970 | −1.6% |
| 75th | $188,390 | +44.9% |
| 90th | $213,010 | +63.9% |
| Mean | $143,930 | +10.7% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | $175,330 | 220 | |
| 2 | San Jose | $131,040 | 120 | |
| 3 | Riverside | $124,140 | 40 | |
| 4 | Sacramento | $116,580 | 110 | |
| 5 | San Diego | $107,890 | 60 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Los Angeles run 13.6% above the national average, so the median of $127,970 buys what $112,650 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 13.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$127,970as reported by BLSLocal price level
113.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$112,650US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $127,970 a year, 1.6% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $83,820 to $213,010 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 380 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is San Francisco, at $175,330.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Actuaries in Los Angeles, CA?
The median annual wage is $127,970, or $61.53 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $130,000, so pay in Los Angeles, CA is 1.6% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Los Angeles, CA earns more than $213,010 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $83,820 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in San Francisco, at $175,330 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 380 jobs in this occupation in Los Angeles, CA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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