Are you a mathematics genius? Do you have excellence in numbers and problem-solving skills? Then here is the best job opportunity for you. Being an actuary is the best career for you. As a mathematician, you must be able to analyze the commercial costs and find the uncertainty and risks in it.
You can figure out the possibilities of risk associated with the financial activity. A bachelor's degree in statistics, financial mathematics, or actuarial science is the eligibility criteria for this position. You must have excellence in mathematics, economics, or commerce throughout your study career. Having a master's degree, research courses, or experience in this related field will be a bonus.
Usually, actuaries get good job opportunities in government sectors, consulting firms, hospitals, investment, finance, insurance companies, accounting departments, and more, with an average annual salary ranging from $98,880 to $110,960 working for more than 40 hours per week. The scope for actuaries is increasing each day with various opportunities and more responsibilities in different sectors.
Actuaries analyze the financial costs of risk and uncertainty. They use mathematics, statistics, and financial theory to assess the risk that an event will occur, and they help businesses and clients develop policies that minimize the cost of that risk. Actuaries’ work is essential to the insurance industry.
Actuaries need a bachelor’s degree, typically in mathematics, actuarial science, statistics, or some other analytical field. Students must complete coursework in economics, applied statistics, and corporate finance, and must pass a series of exams to become certified professionals.
EducationActuaries must have a strong background in mathematics, statistics, and business. Typically, an actuary has an undergraduate degree in mathematics, actuarial science, statistics, or some other analytical field.
To become certified professionals, students must complete coursework in economics, applied statistics, and corporate finance.
Students also should take classes outside of mathematics and business to prepare them for a career as an actuary. Coursework in computer science, especially programming languages, and the ability to use and develop spreadsheets, databases, and statistical analysis tools, are valuable. Classes in writing and public speaking will improve students’ ability to communicate in the business world.
Licenses, Certification, and RegistrationsTwo professional societies—the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) and the Society of Actuaries (SOA)—sponsor programs leading to full professional status. The CAS and SOA offer two levels of certification: associate and fellow.
The CAS certifies actuaries who work in the property and casualty field, which includes automobile, homeowners, medical malpractice, and workers’ compensation insurance.
The SOA certifies actuaries who work in life insurance, health insurance, retirement benefits, investments, and finance.
The main requirement for associate certification in each society is the completion of exams. The SOA requires that candidates pass five exams for associate (ASA) certification. The CAS requires that candidates pass seven exams for associate (ACAS) certification.
Many employers expect students to have passed at least one of the initial actuary exams needed for professional certification before graduation.
In addition, both CAS and SOA require that candidates take seminars on professionalism. Both societies have mandatory e-learning courses for candidates.
It typically takes 4 to 6 years for an actuary to get an ACAS or an ASA certification because each exam requires hundreds of hours of study and months of preparation.
After becoming associates, actuaries typically take another 2 to 3 years to earn fellowship status.
The SOA offers fellowship certification in five separate tracks: life and annuities, group and health benefits, retirement benefits, investments, and finance/enterprise risk management. Unlike the SOA, the CAS does not offer specialized study tracks for fellowship certification.
Both the CAS and the SOA have a continuing education requirement. Most actuaries meet this requirement by attending training seminars that are sponsored by their employers or the societies.
Pension actuaries typically must be licensed by the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries. Applicants must meet certain experience requirements and pass two exams administered through the SOA to qualify for enrollment.
Other ExperienceBecause there are different types of practice areas, including health, life, pension, and casualty, internships may be helpful for students deciding on which actuarial track to pursue.
TrainingMost entry-level actuaries start out as trainees. They are typically on teams with more experienced actuaries who serve as mentors. At first, they perform basic tasks, such as compiling data, but as they gain more experience, they may conduct research and write reports. Beginning actuaries may spend time working in other departments, such as marketing, underwriting, and product development, to learn all aspects of the company’s work and how actuarial work applies to them.
Most employers support their actuaries throughout the certification process. For example, employers typically pay the cost of exams and study materials. Many firms provide paid time to study and encourage their employees to set up study groups. Employees usually receive raises or bonuses for each exam that they pass.
AdvancementAdvancement depends largely on job performance and the number of actuarial exams passed. For example, actuaries who achieve fellowship status often supervise the work of other actuaries and provide advice to senior management. Actuaries with a broad knowledge of risk management and how it applies to business can rise to executive positions in their companies, such as chief risk officer or chief financial officer.
Important QualitiesAnalytical skills. Actuaries use analytical skills to identify patterns and trends in complex sets of data to determine the factors that have an effect on certain types of events.
Communication skills. Actuaries must be able to explain complex technical matters to those without an actuarial background. They must also communicate clearly through the reports and memos that describe their work and recommendations.
Computer skills. Actuaries must know programming languages and be able to use and develop spreadsheets, databases, and statistical analysis tools.
Interpersonal skills. Actuaries serve as leaders and members of teams, so they must be able to listen to other people’s opinions and suggestions before reaching a conclusion.
Math skills. Actuaries quantify risk by using the principles of calculus, statistics, and probability.
Problem-solving skills. Actuaries identify risks and develop ways for businesses to manage those risks.
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In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of Consultant you might progress to a role such as Controller eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title Chief Finance And Operating Officer.
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Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Actuary templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Actuary resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
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In this course, learners will look at how reserving works for P&C, Life and Annuity lines of business. Next, we look at how the capital and surplus for an insurance company is calculated and also the use of Surplus Notes to increase statutory capital. Learners will also explore how regulators calculate risk-based capital (RBC) and use it to monitor the solvency of insurance companies under their jurisdiction. Next, we’ll cover reinsurance which is a key component of risk management for...
Want to gain a solid understanding of the unique analysis methods needed to assess the financial strength and operating performance of insurance companies in the US and Europe? We’ll begin this course with a look at the main lines of business and the current operating environment of the Life and Health sector of the industry. We will also discuss the impact of changes in interest rates on investment earnings and sales of annuity products. Next, we’ll turn our attention to the property and...
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 11.6% of Actuaries listed Risk Management on their resume, but soft skills such as Analytical skills and Communication skills are important as well.
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an Actuary. The best states for people in this position are New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine. Actuaries make the most in New York with an average salary of $116,251. Whereas in Connecticut and Rhode Island, they would average $110,549 and $109,257, respectively. While Actuaries would only make an average of $106,094 in Maine, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. New York
$116,251
Avg. Salary
2. Connecticut
$110,549
Avg. Salary
3. Maine
$106,094
Avg. Salary
We've made finding a great employer to work for easy by doing the hard work for you. We looked into employers that employ Actuaries and discovered their number of Actuary opportunities and average salary. Through our research, we concluded that Ernst & Young was the best, especially with an average salary of $127,556. Milliman follows up with an average salary of $128,340, and then comes Liberty Mutual Insurance with an average of $120,068. In addition, we know most people would rather work from home. So instead of having to change careers, we identified the best employers for remote work as an Actuary. The employers include CVS Health, Genworth Financial, and Humana
