Side-by-side distribution
Actuary
$135,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 56.6%
- Live roles
- 419
CFO
$200,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 26.8%
- Live roles
- 568
Highest-paying jobs
VP, Actuary - Pricing and Product Analytics
Chief Pricing Actuary – Global Wholesale and Specialty
Vice President, Actuary - Life, Absence and Disability Benefits (LAD)
Chief Actuary
Senior Health Actuary
Director, P&C Pricing and Reserving Actuary
Vice President, Pricing Actuary
Chief Actuary
AVP & Actuary – Head of Life Insurance Valuation
AVP, Actuary - Inforce Management
Highest-paying jobs
Chief Financial Officer
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
VP Digital & Technology Solutions Partner - Finance, Accounting & Oracle ERP
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Vice Dean, Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer
Managing Director, CFO Accounting Advisory
Managing Director - CFO Accounting Advisory
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Pacific Life
|
$186,300 | 16 |
Health Care Service Corporation
|
$130,100 | 15 |
AIG
|
$135,000 | 13 |
| NL National Life Insurance Company | $150,313 | 10 |
At-Bay
|
$147,500 | 10 |
Oscar Health
|
$105,982 | 10 |
The Hartford
|
$140,500 | 9 |
| MA Marsh | $119,250 | 9 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Cherry Bekaert
|
$89,475 | 20 |
| BT Baker Tilly | $268,348 | 8 |
The Symicor Group
|
$185,000 | 6 |
Bank of America
|
$135,175 | 6 |
Fortitude Re
|
$206,250 | 4 |
Hold Brothers
|
$195,000 | 3 |
Ankura
|
$142,500 | 3 |
Truist
|
$125,000 | 3 |
Actuary salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $151,700 | 18 |
| Los Angeles | $151,700 | 6 |
| Seattle | $151,700 | 6 |
| Boston | $146,250 | 24 |
| Chicago | $141,000 | 48 |
| Atlanta | $137,250 | 22 |
| New York | $134,500 | 54 |
| Denver | $112,500 | 10 |
| Toronto | $104,750 | 20 |
| London | $101,574 | 4 |
CFO salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $300,000 | 13 |
| Denver | $225,000 | 5 |
| Boston | $196,313 | 6 |
| Los Angeles | $185,673 | 10 |
| New York | $160,000 | 33 |
| Austin | $138,950 | 9 |
| Chicago | $138,725 | 26 |
| Seattle | $138,075 | 3 |
| Atlanta | $138,075 | 11 |
Actuary vs CFO: which pays more?
The median for Actuary is $135,000 per year (typically $104,803–$169,300), versus $200,000 for CFO ($137,931–$271,250). That puts CFO about 48% 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.