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Actuary Salary in Illinois: Is It a Good Career?

Illinois · 2026 BLS salary data

an Actuary pay in Illinois

The median wage is $115,430/yr — 11% below the national median. Among U.S. states, Illinoisranks #26 of 36 states by median pay.

The numbers in Illinois

Real BLS state-level figures for Actuary.

Median salary
$115,430/yr
Pay range (25th–75th)
$95,940 – $158,540
National median
$130,000/yr
Employed in Illinois
2,280

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

What that pay is really worth in Illinois

Salary alone can mislead — Illinois costs about the U.S. average. Here's the median adjusted for local prices (real purchasing power).

Cost of living (US=100)
100
Nominal median
$115,430
Adjusted for cost of living
≈ $115,430
State income tax
Up to 4.95%

Illinois's high pay is offset by cost of living — adjusted for prices it ranks #30 of 36, down from #26 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 Illinois?

The median annual wage is $115,430 (BLS OEWS, state estimates), with the middle 50% earning between $95,940 and $158,540. That's 11% below the national median.

Is Illinois a good state for actuary?

By raw pay, Illinois ranks #26 of 36 states by median pay. Adjusted for cost of living (Illinois costs about the U.S. average), that median is worth about $115,430. Illinois's high pay is offset by cost of living — adjusted for prices it ranks #30 of 36, down from #26 on raw salary.

Are actuary professionals in demand in Illinois?

About 2,280 people work in this field in Illinois (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 — Illinois pay is 11% below 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.