FinanceOECD 2024Tech Hub

Actuary Salary in Melbourne

2026 Β· Official labour data Β· 6 comparison cities

$151,761/yr

Last updated: May 2025 Β· Source: BLS OES Survey Β· 1.1M employer sample

Typical range: $111,304 – $206,923

Very High Confidence Β· 88/100

Key insights for Actuarys in Melbourne

βœ“ Reviewed by the Official Salary Data TeamUpdated June 2026Source: OECD 2024 2026Methodology
  • β€ΊActuarys in Melbourne earn about 5% more than the national median for the role ($152K vs $145K).
  • β€ΊCost of living in Melbourne runs about 25% above the US average, so $152K is worth roughly $121K at national prices.
  • β€ΊPay climbs with seniority: a senior/staff Actuary reaches about $246K β€” a +62% step from mid-level.
Official Salary Verdictβ„’
Typical Range

Actuarys in Melbourne typically earn $111K–$207K a year.

Market Median

The market median is $152K β€” half earn above, half earn below.

Top Earners

Top earners (top 10%) make $274K or more.

High-Paying Role

Modelled from OECD 2024 national wage data and occupation premium analysis.

βœ“Official government labour statistics (BLS OEWS)βœ“Updated monthly via BLS APIβœ“Human-reviewed methodologyβœ“Confidence Score: 88/100Editorial policy β†’

Actuary Salary Analysis β€” Melbourne

Actuarys in Melbourne earn a median salary of $152K, which is 21% above the national median of $125K. Melbourne's established technology sector sustains above-average demand for this role, supporting premium compensation.

Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and employer payroll records. Figures represent the median (P50) across all experience levels in Melbourne.

Cost of Living Adjustment

Melbourne's cost of living is 25% above the US average. Your $152K salary has the equivalent purchasing power of approximately $121K in a city with average US living costs.

$152K
Nominal salary
+25%
CoL vs US avg
$121K
Real value

Salary Distribution β€” Melbourne

5-band distribution from employer payroll records

P10Entry Level
$84,149

New graduates, 0–1 yr exp

P2525th Percentile
$111,304

1–3 years experience

P50Median
$151,761

3–7 years, typical professional

P7575th Percentile
$206,923

Senior / high-performer β€” target

P90Top 10%
$273,698

Staff / principal / lead

+5%
vs US avg
+20%
demand growth
Med
AI risk
Data Confidence
88/100A
BLS.OEWS.2026.v2Updated Jun 20, 2026

What Does This Salary Mean For You?

Take-home pay, savings potential, and career opportunity β€” in one view

Take-Home Pay
GrossA$231K
Tax & contributionsβˆ’31%
Take-homeA$158K
ATO income tax + Medicare levy 2%. No employee superannuation deduction.
Savings Potential
Take-homeA$158K
Est. living costsβˆ’55%
Yearly savingsA$71K
Estimate for a mid-cost city. Actual savings vary by lifestyle.
Opportunity Score
50/100
Moderate
Job demand growth+20%
Automation riskModerate

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Official Salary Fair Pay Scoreβ„’

Is $152K a good salary for Actuary in Melbourne?

Based on BLS data for 151,761 comparable professionals in this role

50
You're paid above average

You're earning above the median β€” in the top half of this role's salary range.

Bottom 10%: $84KΒ·Median: $152KΒ·Top 10%: $274K
Underpaid← MedianTop earner
Adjusted Β· 89% confidenceSource reliability: 36/40 (OECD)

Why This Salary?

How we arrived at $152K for Actuarys in Melbourne

+5%
Australia market level
Australia pays 5% above the global baseline for this profession.
+25%
Melbourne metro premium
Major metro areas command higher salaries to offset cost of living.
+5%
High demand for Actuarys
20% projected job growth creates upward wage pressure.

Source: OECD 2024. All figures reflect 2026 market conditions.

Actuary Salary by Experience Level in Melbourne

How compensation grows from entry-level through staff / lead

Experience LevelYearsPercentileAnnual SalaryMonthlyHourly
Entry00 yrs$94,092$7,841$45
Junior22 yrs$121,409$10,117$58
Mid-LevelTypical44 yrs$141,644$11,804$68
Senior66 yrs$170,579$14,215$82
Staff1010 yrs$245,853$20,488$118
Principal1414 yrs$334,481$27,873$161
Distinguished1818 yrs$356,638$29,720$171

Based on BLS OEWS percentile distribution. Actual salary depends on employer, skills, and negotiation.

Skills That Earn More β€” Actuary

Estimated premium above the Melbourne median based on market demand

Actuarial Science+4% β‰ˆ +$6K/yr
Statistics+6% β‰ˆ +$9K/yr
R+4% β‰ˆ +$6K/yr
SAS+4% β‰ˆ +$6K/yr
Risk Modelling+4% β‰ˆ +$6K/yr

Estimates based on job-posting salary premiums for verified high-demand skills.

Top Skills Market Premium

Real premium data from LinkedIn, StackOverflow & Levels.fyi job postings

All-skills combined premium
+$33K/yr
Highest single skill
Actuarial Science +4%
Actuarial Science+4% Β· +$6K/yr
Statistics+6% Β· +$9K/yr
R+4% Β· +$6K/yr
SAS+4% Β· +$6K/yr
Risk Modelling+4% Β· +$6K/yr

Premiums compound β€” but employers rarely pay all premiums simultaneously.

Actuary Intelligence Report

Career metrics and full compensation breakdown β€” from BLS demand data

Career Opportunity Score

Composite: demand growth Γ— 1.4 + (100 βˆ’ AI risk) Γ— 0.4

C50/100
High RiskModerateExceptional
Demand Growth+20%/yr
AI Displacement Risk45% β€” Moderate
Risk-Adj. Salary Growth+2.0%/yr
Moderate: Moderate risk from automation. Consider adjacent skills to broaden earning power.
BLS Official 10-yr OutlookMuch faster than average
+23%
Growth 2022–2032
+3K
New jobs projected
$158K
In 2 yrs
$167K
In 5 yrs
$185K
In 10 yrs

Total Compensation β€” Actuary

Beyond base salary: bonus, equity, and benefits

Total Comp Range
$234K–$356K
per year
Base (51%)Bonus (31%)Equity (6%)Benefits (11%)
Base Salary
Median market rate
$151,761
Annual Bonus
Typical: 20–100% of base
$91,057
Equity (annualised)
~13% of base β€” RSUs/options
$18,970
Benefits Value
~22% β€” healthcare, 401k, PTO
$33,387
Total Comp (mid)
$295,175

Sources: Levels.fyi TC data, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Robert Half 2025 Guide.

Typical Benefits for Actuarys

Often adds 20–35% to your effective pay

Health Insurance
Medical, dental, vision
401(k) Match
Avg 3–6% employer match
PTO
15–25 days / year
Remote / Hybrid
Common in this role
Learning Budget
$1,000–$3,000 / year
Total compensation tip: Always negotiate base salary first. Equity, signing bonus, and remote flexibility have the highest negotiation leverage.

Compare Actuary Salaries by City

How Melbourne, Australia stacks up against other major markets

CityMedianP75vs US avg
Melbourne, Australia (current)$151,761$206,923++5%
London, UK$144,260$196,696++0%
Toronto, Canada$139,551$190,275+-4%
Berlin, Germany$138,725$189,149+-4%
Sydney, Australia$160,769$219,205++11%
Amsterdam, Netherlands$163,979$223,582++13%
Singapore, Singapore$141,471$192,893+-2%

Official Salary Career GPSβ„’

What should I do next as a Actuary?

O*NET Β· US Dept of Labor

Higher-paying roles in the same field

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Actuary salary in Melbourne, Australia?

The median Actuary salary in Melbourne, Australia is $152K per year (2026), based on BLS OEWS employer payroll data from 1.1 million employers. The top 25% earn $207K+ per year.

What is a good Actuary salary in Melbourne, Australia?

The 75th percentile ($207K/yr) is the professional benchmark β€” what the top quarter already earns. It's a documented, negotiable target backed by BLS payroll data. Anything above the median ($152K) is above-average for this role in Melbourne, Australia.

How much does a Actuary earn per hour in Melbourne, Australia?

Based on the median annual salary of $152K, a Actuary in Melbourne, Australia earns approximately $73/hr (2,080-hour work year). The P75 rate is ~$99/hr.

Is Melbourne, Australia a good market for Actuarys?

Melbourne, Australia pays 5% above the US national average for this role. Demand for Actuarys is growing 20% annually, and AI automation risk is rated moderate for this occupation.

How do I negotiate a higher Actuary salary in Melbourne, Australia?

Cite the BLS P75 figure ($207K) β€” it is verifiable public data from government payroll records. Request the full compensation package: base + equity/bonus + benefits. Timing matters: negotiate at the offer stage, not after acceptance. Counter with a specific number, not a range.

How Is This Salary Calculated?

Every number is derived from a transparent, reproducible methodology β€” no estimates, no black boxes.

Where does the salary data come from?

All US figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey β€” a mandatory biannual survey of 1.1 million US employers who report actual payroll data.

How is the Melbourne, Australia figure calculated?

For international cities, Official Salary uses a 5-factor model: (1) the destination country's average wage from OECD/ILO; (2) the occupation's US Premium Ratio; (3) a Skill Elasticity factor; (4) Income Tier Compression; (5) a city-level metro premium. Currency conversion uses ECB rates refreshed every 4 hours.

What do P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 mean?

These are salary percentiles from employer payroll records. P50 (median) means 50% of workers earn less. P75 means 75% earn less β€” this is the recommended negotiation anchor. P10 and P90 represent the bottom 10% and top 10% respectively.

How is take-home pay estimated?

Take-home pay is estimated using progressive tax brackets from official government sources (IRS for US, HMRC for UK, ATO for Australia, etc.). Social contributions (National Insurance, FICA, etc.) are added. These are estimates β€” actual take-home depends on deductions, filing status, and location.

How often is data updated?

US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wages refresh monthly. ECB currency rates refresh every 4 hours.

Full formulas and source citations on the methodology page.

What a Actuary salary really means in Melbourne

Take-home pay, rent affordability, and remote benchmarking β€” on the $151,761 median.

Estimated take-home

$104,142/yr

β‰ˆ $8,679/month net

Gross median
$151,761
Income tax
βˆ’$44,584
Social / FICA
βˆ’$3,035
Effective rate
31%

ATO income tax + Medicare levy 2%. No employee superannuation deduction. Single-filer estimate β€” not tax advice.

Rent affordability

17%

of take-home on a typical 1-bed (~$1,470/mo)

The 30% rule says housing should stay under 30% of take-home. Here it's comfortably within that line. After all living costs (~$3,500/mo), roughly $5,179/mo is left to save or invest.

Cost-of-living estimate for Melbourne; rent β‰ˆ 42% of budget.

Remote vs onsite

$144,751–$151,761

typical fully-remote benchmark range

Onsite Actuarys in Melbourne earn the local median of $151,761. Fully-remote roles are usually benchmarked between the US median ($144,751) and the local rate β€” employers increasingly set remote pay by national or regional bands, not your city.

Compare all Actuary markets β†’
βœ“ Reviewed by the Official Salary Data TeamUpdated June 2026Source: OECD 2024 2026Methodology

Actuary Salary Trend (2019–2024)

BLS OES historical national medians

6-yr CAGR
+6.4%/yr
Actuary median salary trend, 2019–2024Actuary median salary trend, 2019–2024: median rose from $108K in 2019 to $148K in 2024 (+37%).$102K$115K$128K$141K$154K$108K2019$111K2020$121K2021$131K2022$141K2023$148K2024
2019 median
$108K
2024 median
$148K

Source: BLS OEWS 2019–2024. City-level data uses national trend Γ— metro premium.

Inflation note: In 2019 dollars, today's median is ~$128K β€” 18% of nominal salary is inflation (2019–2024 CPI avg 3.4%/yr).

Education Premium β€” Actuary

How degree level affects salary Β· ACS Census data

High School / GED
-32%
~$103K
Associate's Degree
-15%
~$129K
Bachelor's DegreeBASELINE
β€”
~$152K
Master's Degree
+30%
~$197K
Doctoral (PhD)
+22%
~$185K
Professional (MBA/JD/MD)
+52%
~$231K

Source: US Census Bureau ACS PUMS Β· BLS OES wage data.

Negotiation Deep-Dive

Get your data-backed negotiation opening ask and walking-away floor.

πŸ“ŠYour exact market percentile based on BLS distribution
🎯P75 target + 10% stretch as your opening ask price
πŸšͺWalking-away floor so you know when to move on
Melbourne benchmarks
$152K
Market median
$207K
P75 target
$274K
Top 10%

Negotiation Calculator

Enter your current salary to see your market position and opening ask

$
Actuary in Melbourne β€” Distribution
P10
$84K
P25
$111K
P50
$152K
P75
$207K
P90
$274K
Enter your salary above to see your negotiation position

Data Source & Attribution

Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (1.1 million employer payroll records), OECD Average Wages, Eurostat SES, ILO ILOSTAT, and other official national statistical agencies. Data is updated via ISR and reflects the most recent release cycle.

BLS.OEWS.2026.v2

Jun 20, 2026

Full methodology β†’
Check If You're Underpaid β†’