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What is an actuarial associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
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The CEO of a company seeks your advice on managing investments and insurance policies. The executive wants you, an actuarial associate, to protect his/her present and future accounts from unnactural events and disasters. As an actuarial associate, you have the know-how to help him plan and secure his/her financial database.

You possess proficiency with statistics and computing software, and you demonstrate strong problem-solving skills. Throughout your career as an actuarial associate, you have to study for and ace a series of difficult examinations, as well as pursue further education through specialized seminars for the position.

It's well worth it - an actuarial associate can earn an average annual salary of $115,000, depending on your geographical area. Working hours happen mostly in an office environment, but you will spend some time traveling for the job, too. To start, you normally have a bachelor's degree in business, mathematics, statistics, or finance, and you will need proper certification and two to three years of job experience.

ScoreActuarial AssociateUS Average
Salary
7.2

Avg. Salary $92,434

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.6

Growth rate 21%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.00%

Asian 24.99%

Black or African American 2.94%

Hispanic or Latino 3.66%

Unknown 2.93%

White 65.49%

Gender

female 31.79%

male 68.21%

Age - 37
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 37
Stress level
6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Actuarial associate career paths

Key steps to become an actuarial associate

  1. Explore actuarial associate education requirements

    Most common actuarial associate degrees

    Bachelor's

    83.0 %

    Master's

    12.7 %

    Associate

    3.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific actuarial associate skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Life Insurance13.26%
    Financial Results8.73%
    FSA7.83%
    GAAP5.64%
    SQL5.20%
  3. Complete relevant actuarial associate training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 4-10 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New actuarial associates learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an actuarial associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real actuarial associate resumes.
  4. Research actuarial associate duties and responsibilities

    • Evaluate capitation agreements between provider groups and manage care plans, including commercial and Medicare populations.
    • Take ownership of quarterly Medicaid cost benefit ratio dashboard by compiling several state's claim cost/utilization data and premium information.
    • Present findings and recommendations, via Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, from research projects to senior management within the organization.
  5. Prepare your actuarial associate resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your actuarial associate resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an actuarial associate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable actuarial associate resume templates

    Build a professional actuarial associate resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your actuarial associate resume.
    Actuarial Associate Resume
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    Actuarial Associate Resume
    Actuarial Associate Resume
    Actuarial Associate Resume
  6. Apply for actuarial associate jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an actuarial associate job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first actuarial associate job

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Average actuarial associate salary

The average actuarial associate salary in the United States is $92,434 per year or $44 per hour. Actuarial associate salaries range between $61,000 and $138,000 per year.

Average actuarial associate salary
$92,434 Yearly
$44.44 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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