Skip to content
worldsalaries .com

Average Actuarial Specialist Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An actuarial specialist in United Kingdom earns about 70,000 GBP a year. It sits roughly in line with the national average.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 33,000 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 108,200 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does an actuarial specialist make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
70,000 GBP
5,833 GBP per month
Lowest reported
33,000 GBP
2,750 GBP per month
Highest reported
108,200 GBP
9,016 GBP per month

A typical actuarial specialist working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,833 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 33,000 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 108,200 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior actuarial specialist working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the actuarial specialist salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How actuarial specialist pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all actuarial specialists in United Kingdom earn less than 73,100 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 49,400 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 91,600 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of actuarial specialists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 33,000 GBP. The highest stretch to 108,200 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

33,000
Low
73,100
Median
108,200
High
49,400
25th
91,600
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Actuarial specialist pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an actuarial specialist in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical actuarial specialist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    41,900 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +27% from previous
    53,300 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +36% from previous
    72,700 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +25% from previous
    91,000 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +5% from previous
    95,200 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +9% from previous
    103,600 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 36%. That is the point at which a actuarial specialist typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Actuarial specialist pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving actuarial specialist pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average actuarial specialist salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    53,300 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +31% from previous
    69,600 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +57% from previous
    109,000 GBP

Actuarial specialist gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male actuarial specialists in United Kingdom earn an average of 73,700 GBP a year, while female actuarial specialists earn around 69,100 GBP. That works out to a 7% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Actuarial Specialist gender pay gap

6%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 73,700 GBP
Women 69,100 GBP

Pay raises for an actuarial specialist in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 12% every 15 months, which works out to roughly 10% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Actuarial specialist bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

58%

58% of actuarial specialists in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an actuarial specialist a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary. The remaining 42% of actuarial specialists reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Actuarial specialist: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Actuarial specialist salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Actuarial specialist pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Liverpool
  • Bradford
  • London
  • Birmingham
  • Leicester
  • Somerset
  • Wolverhampton
  • Glasgow
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion130,500 GBP130,500 GBP63,500-199,700 GBP
ScotlandRegion100,700 GBP100,700 GBP51,600-157,600 GBP
LiverpoolCity82,200 GBP73,800 GBP45,000-124,500 GBP
BradfordCity78,900 GBP83,400 GBP37,100-124,500 GBP
LondonCity78,700 GBP86,600 GBP37,300-128,200 GBP
BirminghamCity78,500 GBP84,500 GBP35,500-124,500 GBP
LeicesterCity78,200 GBP73,800 GBP39,000-118,900 GBP
SomersetCity78,200 GBP71,600 GBP43,200-115,600 GBP
WolverhamptonCity77,400 GBP81,600 GBP35,300-119,700 GBP
GlasgowCity77,000 GBP73,500 GBP37,800-114,300 GBP
LeedsCity77,000 GBP73,100 GBP37,800-114,300 GBP
CoventryCity76,800 GBP73,100 GBP39,500-114,300 GBP
PlymouthCity76,600 GBP72,800 GBP39,000-114,300 GBP
NewcastleCity76,000 GBP79,600 GBP37,100-119,700 GBP
CardiffCity75,800 GBP69,400 GBP40,300-114,300 GBP
BristolCity74,600 GBP75,900 GBP37,300-115,600 GBP
EdinburghCity74,300 GBP74,300 GBP39,400-117,100 GBP
ManchesterCity73,800 GBP80,800 GBP34,300-118,900 GBP
SheffieldCity73,700 GBP76,600 GBP36,800-114,300 GBP
BelfastCity73,100 GBP77,000 GBP35,600-116,400 GBP
SouthamptonCity73,100 GBP73,100 GBP35,200-114,900 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity72,400 GBP72,400 GBP36,800-116,400 GBP
DundeeCity71,800 GBP73,500 GBP33,800-111,700 GBP
BrightonCity71,400 GBP74,300 GBP33,300-116,400 GBP
ArmaghCity71,400 GBP73,800 GBP33,000-114,600 GBP
PooleCity70,800 GBP62,300 GBP38,700-105,800 GBP
OxfordCity70,700 GBP68,300 GBP34,800-108,200 GBP
SwanseaCity70,600 GBP76,000 GBP33,600-114,600 GBP
AberdeenCity69,800 GBP69,800 GBP33,300-109,000 GBP
NottinghamCity69,800 GBP69,800 GBP36,500-111,700 GBP
DerbyCity69,800 GBP67,600 GBP37,900-109,000 GBP
ChesterCity69,700 GBP65,100 GBP36,600-105,800 GBP
CambridgeCity69,400 GBP69,400 GBP33,000-107,700 GBP
YorkCity69,400 GBP73,800 GBP32,600-112,700 GBP
StirlingCity69,100 GBP64,100 GBP36,800-105,200 GBP
PortsmouthCity68,800 GBP76,000 GBP31,400-108,200 GBP
PeterboroughCity68,200 GBP65,900 GBP34,900-107,300 GBP
LincolnCity67,900 GBP64,300 GBP35,500-103,600 GBP
DurhamCity67,200 GBP70,500 GBP30,000-107,300 GBP
AbingdonCity67,000 GBP59,900 GBP35,100-99,900 GBP
HartlepoolCity66,400 GBP68,400 GBP33,300-105,800 GBP
WalesRegion66,400 GBP68,800 GBP33,200-105,800 GBP
NewportCity66,200 GBP71,200 GBP29,400-107,700 GBP
ExeterCity66,100 GBP73,200 GBP33,200-107,700 GBP
NorwichCity65,700 GBP69,800 GBP33,300-105,800 GBP
NewryCity65,400 GBP61,200 GBP35,400-99,700 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion64,900 GBP63,100 GBP32,600-97,100 GBP
RiponCity64,500 GBP66,200 GBP30,700-100,700 GBP
LisburnCity64,400 GBP64,600 GBP35,500-100,700 GBP
SalisburyCity64,300 GBP67,800 GBP30,100-100,900 GBP
InvernessCity63,800 GBP63,200 GBP34,000-99,600 GBP
BangorCity63,700 GBP61,300 GBP35,300-99,600 GBP
GloucesterCity63,400 GBP66,200 GBP32,900-103,600 GBP
TruroCity63,200 GBP62,100 GBP32,200-93,600 GBP
DerryCity62,300 GBP62,300 GBP31,400-100,400 GBP
CanterburyCity61,800 GBP59,800 GBP30,200-97,200 GBP
WinchesterCity61,800 GBP57,100 GBP35,500-93,900 GBP
WakefieldCity61,700 GBP58,000 GBP30,300-94,500 GBP
St DavidsCity61,500 GBP67,800 GBP30,800-97,600 GBP
KirkwallCity61,400 GBP57,000 GBP30,200-91,900 GBP
StromnessCity61,300 GBP65,400 GBP29,600-97,600 GBP
WellsCity60,600 GBP56,600 GBP32,300-95,000 GBP
StrontianCity56,900 GBP62,100 GBP26,900-93,100 GBP

Actuarial Specialist in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an actuarial specialist make per month in United Kingdom?

    An actuarial specialist in United Kingdom earns about 5,833 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 70,000 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an actuarial specialist in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level actuarial specialists in United Kingdom start near 33,000 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 108,200 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 49,400 and 91,600 GBP.

  • Is the median actuarial specialist salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 73,100 GBP, higher than the average of 70,000 GBP. Half of actuarial specialists in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for actuarial specialists in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an actuarial specialist in United Kingdom earn around 7% more than women on average (73,700 vs 69,100 GBP a year).

  • Do actuarial specialists in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 58% of actuarial specialists in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

  • Do actuarial specialists earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays an actuarial specialist about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do actuarial specialists in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An actuarial specialist in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 10% a year.