Average IQ of an actuary: no direct data

No published study reports the average IQ of actuaries. The nearest groups are accountants, with a median of about 109 in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study and about 121 in 1944 US Army data, and maths and science jobs, with a median of about 110.

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Key facts

Closest figure
109, proxy: accountants (WLS median)
Middle 50% (accountants)
99 to 117 (25th to 75th percentile)
Main source
Proxies only. Accountants and maths jobs.

Actuarial exams are among the hardest professional exams, so actuaries likely sit at the upper end.

On the standard scale, where 100 is the average, a proxy figure of 109 is higher than about 73% of people. See what an IQ of 109 means, or check any score with the IQ percentile calculator or the IQ chart.

Your score next to accountants

Inside the typical range for accountants, 1 points above the middle.

In the general population, 110 is higher than about 75% of people. Shaded band: middle 50% (accountants) (99 to 117).

What the studies show

Actuaries are a small profession and do not appear in any occupational IQ table we could verify. The closest proxies point to the 110 to 120 range. In the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, men in accounting occupations had a median IQ of about 109, and those in the physical, life and mathematical sciences about 110. In 1944, accountants had the highest average of any civilian job in the US Army Air Force, about 121 on the IQ scale.

Actuaries qualify through a long series of hard mathematical exams, which suggests they sit above the accountant average, but no data measures that. The bar below uses the accountant range as a rough reference only.

The Wisconsin study is one US state, one generation born around 1939, and almost entirely white. Its IQ scale is anchored to Wisconsin high-school juniors in 1951, not to a national norm. Treat every figure as an estimate within a few points.

Published figures relevant to actuaries

  1. Median 109 (middle half 99 to 117)

    Hauser (2002), WLS. Men in accounting occupations (proxy). Proxy group.

  2. Median about 110

    Hauser (2002), WLS. Men in physical, life and mathematical sciences (proxy). Proxy group.

  3. Army test mean 128.1, about IQ 121

    Harrell & Harrell (1945). 172 accountants in the US Army Air Force. Men only, 1940s.

Actuaries next to other jobs

Best estimates from the same sources, so the jobs can be compared. Ranges overlap a lot: every job has people well above and well below its average.

JobMedianMiddle 50%
DentistsClosest group120112 to 127
Doctors120112 to 127
SurgeonsClosest group120112 to 127
Professors116106 to 125
Electrical engineers113103 to 121
Lawyers113109 to 124
Mechanical engineersClosest group11099 to 123
Software developers110102 to 120
Software engineers110102 to 120
ActuariesClosest group10999 to 117
Civil engineersClosest group10999 to 120
Nurses10799 to 117

Medians from Hauser (2002), Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. “Closest group” rows have no study of their own and use the nearest published group.

What the job demands

Cognitive load is High. That means sustained reasoning is required, not occasional cleverness.

LifeScore role ratings, 1 to 10. Editorial, not measured.

Logic and analysis
10
Stress
6
Social contact
4
Structure and routine
9
Creativity
5

Making the career sustainable

If your raw cognitive speed is below the median for this field, you can still succeed by using systems: checklists, templates, code reuse, deliberate practice, and tight feedback loops.

General reasoning affects how fast people learn a role, but it is not a gate. Qualifications, practice, domain knowledge, tools, teamwork and job design all change performance.

Average IQ of an actuary: questions people ask

What is the average IQ of an actuary?

No study measures it. The closest groups, accountants and maths and science jobs, have medians of about 109 to 121 depending on the source. Actuaries likely sit at the upper end.

Do you need a high IQ to be an actuary?

There is no IQ requirement, but the professional exams demand strong, sustained mathematical reasoning and years of study.

Is being an actuary stressful?

Stress demand is rated 6/10 with burnout risk Moderate. If you don’t build recovery (sleep, boundaries, exercise), stress compounds.

What personality traits help an actuary?

Roles with high structure demand (9/10) reward conscientiousness; roles with high social demand (4/10) reward social energy and emotional regulation.

Can I succeed as a actuary if I’m below the “recommended” IQ?

Yes. There is no valid IQ cutoff for this occupation. Qualifications, deliberate practice, experience, support and role specialization are more useful career decisions than comparing yourself with an estimated benchmark.

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