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Average Actuary Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An actuary in United Kingdom earns about 94,300 GBP a year. That's 35% above the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 45,300 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 151,800 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 actuary make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
94,300 GBP
7,858 GBP per month
Lowest reported
45,300 GBP
3,775 GBP per month
Highest reported
151,800 GBP
12,650 GBP per month

A typical actuary working in United Kingdom brings home around 7,858 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 45,300 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 151,800 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 actuary 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 actuary salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How actuary 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 actuaries in United Kingdom earn less than 99,600 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 64,200 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 128,200 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of actuaries sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 45,300 GBP. The highest stretch to 151,800 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.

45,300
Low
99,600
Median
151,800
High
64,200
25th
128,200
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Actuary pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an actuary 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 actuary salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    54,200 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +35% from previous
    73,100 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +37% from previous
    99,900 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +25% from previous
    124,500 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +5% from previous
    130,400 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    141,000 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 37%. That is the point at which a actuary 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.

Actuary pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving actuary 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 actuary salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    68,200 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +65% from previous
    112,700 GBP

Actuary 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 actuaries in United Kingdom earn an average of 98,700 GBP a year, while female actuaries earn around 92,600 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.

Actuary gender pay gap

6%

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

Men 98,700 GBP
Women 92,600 GBP

Pay raises for an actuary 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 16 months, which works out to roughly 9% 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

Actuary 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.

59%

59% of actuaries in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an actuary 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 41% of actuaries 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

Actuary: 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

Actuary salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Actuary 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
  • London
  • Birmingham
  • Edinburgh
  • Leeds
  • Newcastle
  • Brighton
  • Coventry
  • Glasgow
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion191,100 GBP195,500 GBP93,100-300,500 GBP
ScotlandRegion137,100 GBP142,300 GBP65,200-216,300 GBP
LondonCity116,400 GBP125,400 GBP51,300-183,900 GBP
BirminghamCity114,300 GBP123,800 GBP54,600-183,600 GBP
EdinburghCity112,700 GBP117,100 GBP53,300-175,200 GBP
LeedsCity111,700 GBP103,600 GBP60,200-167,100 GBP
NewcastleCity109,000 GBP105,800 GBP56,100-165,900 GBP
BrightonCity109,000 GBP107,300 GBP56,100-165,900 GBP
CoventryCity109,000 GBP109,000 GBP52,300-167,100 GBP
GlasgowCity108,200 GBP100,700 GBP60,900-165,900 GBP
BristolCity108,200 GBP112,700 GBP53,500-171,300 GBP
NottinghamCity108,200 GBP114,300 GBP51,400-172,100 GBP
LiverpoolCity107,700 GBP111,700 GBP49,300-166,600 GBP
ManchesterCity107,700 GBP99,700 GBP57,100-161,300 GBP
SheffieldCity107,700 GBP109,700 GBP53,300-166,600 GBP
SomersetCity107,300 GBP108,200 GBP50,000-165,900 GBP
BradfordCity105,800 GBP100,200 GBP54,900-158,700 GBP
SouthamptonCity105,800 GBP111,700 GBP50,500-165,900 GBP
WolverhamptonCity105,200 GBP112,700 GBP46,700-163,800 GBP
CardiffCity103,600 GBP107,300 GBP48,000-158,700 GBP
PortsmouthCity103,600 GBP108,200 GBP47,800-161,300 GBP
SwanseaCity102,700 GBP100,700 GBP51,500-158,900 GBP
AberdeenCity102,700 GBP100,700 GBP51,500-158,900 GBP
PlymouthCity102,700 GBP102,700 GBP52,000-160,700 GBP
LeicesterCity102,700 GBP98,000 GBP51,900-156,200 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity101,100 GBP107,300 GBP46,200-158,900 GBP
BelfastCity100,700 GBP102,700 GBP50,300-158,900 GBP
DerbyCity99,700 GBP105,200 GBP46,700-158,900 GBP
ArmaghCity99,700 GBP99,600 GBP49,300-152,700 GBP
OxfordCity99,600 GBP89,400 GBP54,300-146,900 GBP
GloucesterCity99,600 GBP95,200 GBP51,500-151,800 GBP
LincolnCity99,100 GBP99,100 GBP48,000-151,800 GBP
NewportCity99,100 GBP107,300 GBP43,100-153,700 GBP
NewryCity95,400 GBP91,700 GBP51,600-146,900 GBP
NorwichCity95,300 GBP94,300 GBP45,000-148,300 GBP
ExeterCity95,300 GBP89,800 GBP50,300-142,300 GBP
DerryCity95,200 GBP103,600 GBP45,700-153,800 GBP
DundeeCity95,000 GBP95,600 GBP48,600-150,100 GBP
PeterboroughCity94,500 GBP91,700 GBP49,300-146,700 GBP
PooleCity94,300 GBP96,500 GBP44,500-147,900 GBP
YorkCity94,300 GBP90,900 GBP51,100-147,900 GBP
SalisburyCity93,200 GBP89,400 GBP47,800-140,200 GBP
InvernessCity93,100 GBP90,600 GBP48,600-142,100 GBP
DurhamCity92,900 GBP100,700 GBP43,500-146,900 GBP
HartlepoolCity92,300 GBP92,200 GBP46,400-142,300 GBP
AbingdonCity91,000 GBP91,000 GBP44,700-140,700 GBP
CambridgeCity90,900 GBP94,400 GBP41,500-140,200 GBP
WalesRegion90,900 GBP91,000 GBP45,900-142,100 GBP
CanterburyCity89,900 GBP80,500 GBP46,700-134,700 GBP
StirlingCity89,800 GBP91,600 GBP41,500-139,100 GBP
ChesterCity89,800 GBP83,100 GBP45,600-134,700 GBP
LisburnCity87,900 GBP83,700 GBP48,600-134,100 GBP
BangorCity87,700 GBP87,700 GBP43,400-132,000 GBP
WellsCity87,500 GBP87,500 GBP43,400-132,000 GBP
StromnessCity87,300 GBP92,100 GBP40,900-137,100 GBP
WakefieldCity86,100 GBP84,900 GBP46,200-132,000 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion86,100 GBP78,100 GBP43,800-127,600 GBP
TruroCity85,700 GBP78,700 GBP47,800-130,500 GBP
KirkwallCity84,600 GBP84,600 GBP43,500-132,000 GBP
WinchesterCity83,900 GBP89,900 GBP42,600-134,700 GBP
RiponCity83,800 GBP81,200 GBP45,600-127,600 GBP
StrontianCity81,000 GBP74,200 GBP43,500-124,500 GBP
St DavidsCity79,800 GBP74,900 GBP43,400-124,500 GBP

Actuary in United Kingdom: FAQs

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

    An actuary in United Kingdom earns about 7,858 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 94,300 GBP.

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

    Entry-level actuaries in United Kingdom start near 45,300 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 151,800 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 64,200 and 128,200 GBP.

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

    The median is 99,600 GBP, higher than the average of 94,300 GBP. Half of actuaries in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as an actuary in United Kingdom earn around 7% more than women on average (98,700 vs 92,600 GBP a year).

  • Do actuaries in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 59% of actuaries in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

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

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

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

    An actuary in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 9% a year.