Side-by-side distribution
Actuary
$157,656
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 65.3%
- Live roles
- 72
CFO
$215,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 19.1%
- Live roles
- 350
Highest-paying jobs
Chief Actuary
AVP & Actuary – Enterprise Asset Liability Management Strategy
AVP & Actuary – Head of Life Insurance Valuation
AVP, Actuary - Inforce Management
Product Performance Actuary
Actuary/Sr. Actuary-ALM
Senior Reserving Actuary
Staff Actuary
Pricing Actuary
Senior Life Actuary
Highest-paying jobs
1.1. Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
CFO, Prism Media LLC
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
VP, Finance
Chief Financial Officer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| NL National Life Insurance Company | $150,313 | 12 |
At-Bay
|
$147,500 | 10 |
Strive Health
|
$111,500 | 8 |
|
Akur8
|
$195,000 | 3 |
|
Clover Health
|
$207,500 | 2 |
| NI Next Insurance | $138,500 | 2 |
Strongpoint Partners
|
$112,500 | 2 |
|
Ethos Life
|
$208,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
CFO Insights
|
$190,145 | 8 |
The Symicor Group
|
$185,000 | 6 |
Hold Brothers
|
$195,000 | 3 |
Anders
|
$96,000 | 3 |
The Brydon Group
|
$262,500 | 2 |
Black White Zebra
|
$105,680 | 2 |
The Pod Group
|
$81,233 | 2 |
|
Phoenix Tailings
|
$737,500 | 1 |
Actuary salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | $190,500 | 4 |
| Atlanta | $181,250 | 4 |
| Chicago | $167,500 | 5 |
| San Francisco | $147,500 | 10 |
| New York | $142,649 | 11 |
CFO salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $300,000 | 7 |
| New York | $265,000 | 9 |
| Los Angeles | $215,000 | 3 |
| London | $190,145 | 8 |
| Chicago | $115,000 | 3 |
Actuary vs CFO: which pays more?
The median for Actuary is $157,656 per year (typically $127,500–$195,000), versus $215,000 for CFO ($171,250–$267,500). That puts CFO about 36% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Actuary and CFO 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.