Underwriter vs Actuary: pay, outlook, education and work, side by side.
Every row comes from one named source and says which career leads on that one dimension. There is no overall score.
Underwriter vs Actuary: BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 13-2053 and 15-2011). The national median annual wage is $81,370 for underwriters and $130,000 for actuaries (BLS, May 2025). BLS projects national employment to change -3.8% for underwriters and +9.2% for actuaries from 2025 to 2035. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree vs Bachelor's degree. Which fits better depends on what you value; the table shows who leads on each dimension, with no overall winner.
Side by side
Data Differences smaller than a stated threshold read “About the same” (pay 5%, growth 2 points, openings 10%, one education level, ORS 10 points, O*NET 0.2).
Pick what matters to you; the matching rows are highlighted. Nothing is combined into a score.
| Dimension · source | UnderwriterSOC 13-2053 | ActuarySOC 15-2011 | Leads on this dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wageBLS OEWS, May 2025 (national) | $81,370 | $130,000 | Actuary |
| EmploymentBLS OEWS, May 2025 | 105,420 | 26,670 | Not ranked |
| Projected employment change, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) | -3.8% | +9.2% | Actuary |
| Projected numeric change in jobs, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) · A count, not a rate: it scales with the size of the occupation. | -4,800 jobs | +2,900 jobs | Not ranked |
| Projected openings (annual average)BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35 | 6,800 a year | 1,500 a year | Underwriter |
| Typical entry-level educationBLS Employment Projections · typical, not a legal requirement | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree | About the same |
| Typical work experience in a related occupationBLS Employment Projections | None | None | About the same |
| Typical on-the-job trainingBLS Employment Projections | Moderate-term on-the-job training | Long-term on-the-job training | Not ranked |
| Pressure level (O*NET, 1–5; lower = less)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 3.56 | 2.44 | Actuary |
| Social-contact level (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context · not ranked: neither direction is better | 3.86 | 3.41 | Not ranked |
| Freedom to make decisions (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 4.30 | 4.06 | Underwriter |
| Work styles O*NET rates most importantO*NET® 31.0 work styles (occupation ratings, not a personality test) | Cautiousness, Attention to Detail, Dependability | Attention to Detail, Cautiousness, Dependability | Not ranked |
Choose based on what matters to you
Data Each line restates a measured difference from the table; nothing here predicts how you will feel about a job.
- more decision-making freedom matters (4.30 vs 4.06)
- higher median pay matters most ($130,000 vs $81,370)
- faster projected national growth matters (+9.2% vs -3.8%)
- a lower-pressure work environment matters (2.44 vs 3.56)
Which skills each one leans on
Data O*NET 31.0 skill ratings: level (0–7) and importance.
Skill-profile match: 47% (similarity of the two O*NET skill profiles, importance × level; 100% = identical).
No skill is rated meaningfully higher than for Actuary.
- Mathematics (+2.1 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Complex Problem Solving (+1.8 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Systems Analysis (+1.8 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Systems Evaluation (+1.6 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
What each career involves
Data Core tasks from O*NET 31.0.
Underwriter
- Examine documents to determine degree of risk from factors such as applicant health, financial standing and value, and condition of property.
- Write to field representatives, medical personnel, or others to obtain further information, quote rates, or explain company underwriting policies.
- Evaluate possibility of losses due to catastrophe or excessive insurance.
- Review company records to determine amount of insurance in force on single risk or group of closely related risks.
Actuary
- Analyze data to determine premium rates required and cash reserves and liabilities necessary to ensure payment of future benefits.
- Analyze statistical information to estimate mortality, accident, sickness, disability, and retirement rates.
- Design, review, and help administer insurance, annuity and pension plans, determining financial soundness and calculating premiums.
- Collaborate with programmers, underwriters, accounts, claims experts, and senior management to help companies develop plans for new lines of business or improvements to existing business.
Largest employing industries
Data Share of all jobs in each occupation, BLS Employment Matrix 2025.
Underwriter
- Insurance carriers and related activities (93.4% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Management of companies and enterprises (2.2% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Professional, scientific, and technical services (0.8% of all jobs in this occupation)
Actuary
- Insurance carriers and related activities (76.9% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Professional, scientific, and technical services (12.5% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Management of companies and enterprises (3.4% of all jobs in this occupation)
Moving between these careers
Data The comparison shows which; the career-change guides show how.
- Underwriter → Actuary: skills to build: Mathematics, Complex Problem Solving, Systems Analysis.
- Actuary → Underwriter: skills to build: no skill rated half a point higher.
Go deeper
Underwriter career hub · Underwriter salary · Underwriter how to become · Actuary career hub · Actuary salary
Common questions
Which pays more, Underwriter or Actuary?
Which is growing faster?
Which is better?
How this page is built
BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 13-2053 and 15-2011). Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025 national median for each occupation's SOC code. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (growth, numeric change and annual openings are separate metrics). Requirements rows: 2025 preliminary BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, shown only when both roles have detailed-occupation estimates. Work environment: O*NET 31.0 work context. This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. TryHired has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Searches this page answers include “underwriter vs actuary salary”, “actuary vs underwriter salary” (Ahrefs, U.S.).
- Any one employer's pay, schedule or culture.
- Job security, ease of hiring or work-life balance: these are not measured here.
- Which career you will prefer: the rows describe the occupations, not you.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 national projections (growth, openings, typical entry-level education and experience).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey, 2025 estimates (preliminary: two of the third wave's samples, collected August 2023 to July 2025; released January 16, 2026), public domain.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (all jobs, including self-employed).