Side-by-side distribution
Actuary
$157,656
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 65.3%
- Live roles
- 72
Controller
$162,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 32.3%
- Live roles
- 589
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
Sr. Engineer, SoC Design Verification Engineer, System Management Controller
Corporate Controller
Managing Director - Accounting Advisory (Operational Accounting/Controller)
Controller
SVP, Controller
1.2. Controller
Senior Director of Revenue / Revenue Controller
Corporate Controller
Assistant Controller
Director, Corporate Controller
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 |
|---|---|---|
|
Crosscountry Consulting
|
$192,250 | 9 |
Air Apps
|
$43,256 | 9 |
Attivo Partners
|
$180,000 | 5 |
Weekday AI
|
$150,000 | 3 |
The Symicor Group
|
$125,000 | 3 |
Cheer Home Care
|
$124,800 | 3 |
|
Standard Bots
|
$267,500 | 2 |
|
ChargePoint
|
$250,500 | 2 |
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 |
Controller salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $200,000 | 15 |
| Denver | $195,000 | 3 |
| New York | $188,750 | 26 |
| Los Angeles | $163,500 | 10 |
| Seattle | $159,995 | 3 |
| Chicago | $150,000 | 9 |
| London | $117,011 | 3 |
Actuary vs Controller: which pays more?
The median for Actuary is $157,656 per year (typically $127,500–$195,000), versus $162,500 for Controller ($125,000–$200,000). That puts Controller about 3% 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.