Side-by-side distribution
Accountant
$87,090
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 28.4%
- Live roles
- 3,492
Actuary
$142,899
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 54.5%
- Live roles
- 415
Highest-paying jobs
Corporate / Controllership Accountant
Accountant / Finance (Senior/Lead)
Senior Accountant Expert
Staff Accountant
Senior Accountant (Contract to Hire)
Senior Accountant
Sr. Accountant
Senior Technical Accountant
Senior Accountant (First Hire)
Technical Accountant
Highest-paying jobs
Chief Pricing Actuary – Global Wholesale and Specialty
Vice President, Actuary - Life, Absence and Disability Benefits (LAD)
Chief Actuary
Senior Leader, Government Health Actuary
Actuary Lead
Director, P&C Pricing and Reserving Actuary
Vice President & Actuary (Annuities Pricing)
Vice President, Pricing Actuary
Chief Actuary
AVP & Actuary – Enterprise Asset Liability Management Strategy
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
BDO Canada
|
$65,000 | 31 |
Cushman & Wakefield
|
$60,033 | 15 |
Hunt St
|
$25,504 | 14 |
| TS Tempur Sealy | $76,000 | 12 |
Supporting Strategies
|
$67,600 | 10 |
U.S. Bank
|
$88,523 | 9 |
Live Nation Entertainment
|
$95,000 | 7 |
CoreWeave
|
$114,000 | 6 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Pacific Life
|
$186,300 | 13 |
AIG
|
$141,500 | 13 |
| NL National Life Insurance Company | $150,313 | 12 |
Health Care Service Corporation
|
$143,150 | 12 |
| MA Marsh | $140,250 | 11 |
At-Bay
|
$147,500 | 10 |
Strive Health
|
$111,500 | 8 |
|
The Standard
|
$162,125 | 7 |
Accountant salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | $140,400 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $122,000 | 33 |
| Austin | $116,000 | 9 |
| Atlanta | $109,500 | 8 |
| Boston | $105,000 | 23 |
| New York | $100,500 | 97 |
| Seattle | $94,875 | 4 |
| Chicago | $91,675 | 49 |
| Los Angeles | $91,244 | 22 |
| Denver | $90,000 | 15 |
Actuary salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | $150,000 | 23 |
| Denver | $146,500 | 9 |
| San Francisco | $146,000 | 15 |
| Chicago | $146,000 | 49 |
| Atlanta | $142,500 | 23 |
| New York | $140,875 | 50 |
| Los Angeles | $140,250 | 5 |
| Seattle | $139,875 | 8 |
| Toronto | $115,000 | 12 |
Accountant vs Actuary: which pays more?
The median for Accountant is $87,090 per year (typically $69,225–$105,000), versus $142,899 for Actuary ($109,700–$174,031). That puts Actuary about 64% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Accountant and Actuary are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.