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The differences between investment analysts and actuaries can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an actuary has an average salary of $88,255, which is higher than the $79,056 average annual salary of an investment analyst.
The top three skills for an investment analyst include portfolio management, financial statements and strong analytical. The most important skills for an actuary are risk management, VBA, and GAAP.
| Investment Analyst | Actuary | |
| Yearly salary | $79,056 | $88,255 |
| Hourly rate | $38.01 | $42.43 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 63,003 | 13,566 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Average age | 40 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
An Investment Analyst provides research and information to help traders, fund managers and stock brokers make decisions about investments. They are hired by companies, investment trusts, stock trading and brokerage firms, and insurance providers.
An actuary specializes in performing research and analysis to assess risks and help companies prepare for any financial disadvantages or impact it may bring. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with different departments to gather accurate data, maintain records of all transactions, evaluate the data through various processes, and develop new strategies to cut down costs and risks. An actuary is also responsible for performing clerical tasks such as producing reports through graphs and charts, preparing presentations, answering inquiries and concern, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Investment analysts and actuaries have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Investment Analyst | Actuary | |
| Average salary | $79,056 | $88,255 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $140,000 | Between $52,000 And $147,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Professional |
There are a few differences between an investment analyst and an actuary in terms of educational background:
| Investment Analyst | Actuary | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Most common major | Finance | Mathematics |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Notre Dame |
Here are the differences between investment analysts' and actuaries' demographics:
| Investment Analyst | Actuary | |
| Average age | 40 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% | Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 14.1% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino, 5.1% Asian, 17.3% White, 71.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 18% |