Career comparison
Actuary vs. Mathematician
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Actuaries earn more at the median ($130,000 vs. $126,710), while mathematicians usually get to work faster (2–6 years after a bachelor’s of training). Actuaries use math and statistics to measure risk and price insurance. Mathematicians develop math theories and models to solve problems in science, business and security.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Actuary | Mathematician | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $130,000 ($62.50/hr) | $126,710 ($60.92/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $78,570 – $215,100 | $69,240 – $195,190 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +9.2% (much faster than average) | +0.6% (little or no change) |
| Openings per year | 1,500 | 100 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Master's degree |
| Training time | Several years of exams while working | 2–6 years after a bachelor’s |
| Key credential | ASA or FSA | Ph.D. in mathematics |
| Work setting | Actuaries work in offices, and many work remotely.. | Mathematicians work in offices for government, research labs and companies.. |
What each job does
Actuary
- Analyze risk data
- Price insurance products
- Set reserves
- Value pension plans
- Build models
Mathematician
- Develop models
- Prove theories
- Design algorithms
- Analyze data
- Write papers
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with information, high-pay, desk work, and problem-solving. They sit in different fields, business & office and science, engineering & lab, but share transferable skills such as persistence and persistence.
Which should you choose?
Choose actuary if…
- I love math
- I’m persistent
- I like predicting outcomes
Choose mathematician if…
- I love math
- I’m persistent
- I like hard problems
Still torn? Take the Actuary fit quiz and the Mathematician fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, actuary or mathematician?
Actuaries earn more at the median: $130,000 versus $126,710 for mathematicians, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Mathematicians typically train faster (2–6 years after a bachelor’s) than actuaries (Several years of exams while working).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects actuaries to grow +9.2% from 2025–35, compared with +0.6% for mathematicians.