Side-by-side distribution
Actuary
$150,313
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 53.5%
- Live roles
- 71
Controller
$165,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.4%
- Live roles
- 622
Highest-paying jobs
Product Performance Actuary
Director, Actuary
Actuary - Inforce Management
Property Actuarial Analyst
Senior Pricing Actuary
Actuary / Senior Actuary
Actuary / Senior Actuary
Actuary / Senior Actuary (Remote)
Actuary / Senior Actuary
Actuary / Senior Actuary
Highest-paying jobs
Revenue & Accounting Operations Controller
Revenue & Accounting Operations Controller
Corporate Controller
Controller
Partner 36, Corporate Controller
Controller
Controller, Vice President of Accounting
Assistant Controller
Corporate Controller
Assistant Controller
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
At-Bay
|
$147,500 | 10 |
Strive Health
|
$111,500 | 8 |
| NL National Life Insurance Company | $150,313 | 7 |
Strongpoint Partners
|
$112,500 | 2 |
|
Ethos Life
|
$208,000 | 1 |
|
Pie Insurance
|
$202,500 | 1 |
|
EPIC Brokers
|
$175,000 | 1 |
Ennoble Care
|
$170,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Air Apps
|
$43,650 | 9 |
Attivo Partners
|
$182,500 | 5 |
Crosscountry Consulting
|
$172,125 | 4 |
Metropolis
|
$180,000 | 3 |
The Symicor Group
|
$125,000 | 3 |
Cheer Home Care
|
$124,800 | 3 |
| IE Industrial Electric Manufacturing | $68,120 | 3 |
|
Versapay
|
$534,560 | 2 |
Actuary salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $147,500 | 10 |
| New York | $127,500 | 9 |
| Chicago | $127,500 | 3 |
Controller salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $216,250 | 16 |
| New York | $192,250 | 23 |
| Denver | $183,750 | 4 |
| Los Angeles | $165,000 | 13 |
| Seattle | $159,997 | 4 |
| Chicago | $158,750 | 6 |
| London | $123,339 | 4 |
| Toronto | $103,672 | 4 |
Actuary vs Controller: which pays more?
The median for Actuary is $150,313 per year (typically $119,468–$167,500), versus $165,000 for Controller ($129,375–$205,125). That puts Controller about 10% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Actuary and Controller 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.