Actuaries
Median $130,000
Occupation · SOC 15-2021
Mathematicians: pay and where the jobs are
What mathematicians earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$126,710 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $129,260
- Median hourly wage
- $60.92
- Mean hourly wage
- $62.15
- Employment
- 2,030
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 15-2021.
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How much do mathematicians make?
The median annual wage for mathematicians was $126,710 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $69,240 and the highest-paid 10% more than $195,190. As an hourly rate, the median is $60.92. About 2,030 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Washington ($162,280), Virginia ($148,030) and Maryland ($131,810). Washington also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for mathematicians looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $69,240 | $33.29 | $5,770 | $4,795 |
| 25th percentile | $88,570 | $42.58 | $7,381 | $5,928 |
| Median | $126,710 | $60.92 | $10,559 | $8,156 |
| 75th percentile | $157,020 | $75.49 | $13,085 | $9,882 |
| 90th percentile | $195,190 | $93.84 | $16,266 | $12,057 |
Mathematicians: pay by state
12 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$112,074 take-home in national prices
2
$103,603 take-home in national prices
3
$94,485 take-home in national prices
Where a median mathematician paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 100 | $162,280 | $102,050 | $239,960 | $119,933 | $112,074 |
| Virginia | 400 | $148,030 | $92,520 | $195,190 | $104,747 | $103,603 |
| Maryland | 160 | $131,810 | $73,590 | $195,190 | $95,274 | $90,772 |
| Illinois | 60 | $130,970 | $49,190 | $170,010 | $94,446 | $94,485 |
| New York | 150 | $126,950 | $79,110 | $261,670 | $91,143 | $84,454 |
| California | 250 | $126,710 | $81,230 | $182,020 | $88,686 | $80,099 |
| Rhode Island | 100 | $109,260 | $72,470 | $155,150 | $81,006 | $79,201 |
| Massachusetts | 40 | $104,190 | $72,030 | $149,520 | $76,659 | $72,486 |
| Nevada | 70 | $102,890 | $78,810 | $162,990 | $81,213 | $81,230 |
| Indiana | 40 | $88,050 | $77,420 | $136,990 | $68,205 | $73,080 |
| Colorado | 60 | $86,020 | $63,820 | $195,190 | $65,890 | $63,939 |
| Michigan | 90 | $65,510 | $65,510 | $132,530 | $52,284 | $54,340 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 15-2021. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.