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Actuary Salary in Arizona: Is It a Good Career?

Arizona · 2026 BLS salary data

an Actuary pay in Arizona

The median wage is $135,870/yr — 5% above the national median. Among U.S. states, Arizonaranks #6 of 36 states by median pay.

The numbers in Arizona

Real BLS state-level figures for Actuary.

Median salary
$135,870/yr
Pay range (25th–75th)
$107,700 – $170,800
National median
$130,000/yr
Employed in Arizona
200

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS), state estimates, May 2025 release.

What that pay is really worth in Arizona

Salary alone can mislead — Arizona costs 1% more than the U.S. average. Here's the median adjusted for local prices (real purchasing power).

Cost of living (US=100)
100.7
Nominal median
$135,870
Adjusted for cost of living
≈ $134,926
State income tax
Up to 2.5%

Arizona's high pay is offset by cost of living — adjusted for prices it ranks #10 of 36, down from #6 on raw salary.

Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities (all items, US=100), 2024. Adjusted pay = nominal median ÷ (RPP/100) — purchasing power vs the U.S. average. State income tax = top marginal rate on wage income (Tax Foundation, 2025); your effective rate is lower and depends on income and deductions.

FAQ

How much do actuary professionals make in Arizona?

The median annual wage is $135,870 (BLS OEWS, state estimates), with the middle 50% earning between $107,700 and $170,800. That's 5% above the national median.

Is Arizona a good state for actuary?

By raw pay, Arizona ranks #6 of 36 states by median pay. Adjusted for cost of living (Arizona costs 1% more than the U.S. average), that median is worth about $134,926. Arizona's high pay is offset by cost of living — adjusted for prices it ranks #10 of 36, down from #6 on raw salary.

Are actuary professionals in demand in Arizona?

About 200 people work in this field in Arizona (BLS OEWS). Nationally, BLS projects +21.8% employment growth for this field from 2024 to 2034.

The verdict, pros, and cons below apply to Actuary nationally — Arizona pay is 5% above the national median. See the full an Actuary career guide →

The verdict

Yes — actuarial work offers high pay, excellent job security, strong projected growth, and a debt-light path via professional exams rather than expensive grad school. The trade-off is a demanding, years-long exam gauntlet and detail-heavy, quantitative work.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • High pay with excellent job security
  • Much-faster-than-average projected growth
  • Exam-based entry — no expensive grad degree needed
  • Pay rises with each exam passed
  • Strong work-life balance once credentialed

Cons

  • Long, demanding series of professional exams
  • Years of self-study alongside full-time work
  • Detail-heavy, quantitative day-to-day
  • Narrow field concentrated in insurance/finance
  • Slow start until early exams are passed

Who it's for

✓ A good fit if…

  • Strong math and statistics people
  • Disciplined self-studiers
  • Those wanting high pay without grad-school debt

✗ Probably not if…

  • People who dislike heavy math
  • Those unwilling to grind years of exams

What people are actually asking

Real Reddit discussions on whether Actuary is worth it — titles link to the original threads.