Overview
Actuaries are the mathematical backbone of the insurance and risk management industry. They build models to quantify uncertainty — from the likelihood of natural disasters to life expectancy tables — and translate those models into pricing strategies, reserves, and capital requirements. The career path involves passing a rigorous series of professional exams alongside on-the-job training.
A Day in the Life
Review mortality table updates and regulatory changes
Build reserve calculation model in Excel/R
Client meeting on pension liability projections
Study for upcoming Exam MFE after lunch
Peer review of pricing assumptions for new product line
Draft report on experience study results
Growth Outlook
BLS projects actuary employment to grow 22% from 2024 to 2034, much faster than average, with demand in insurance, enterprise risk, and climate risk modeling.
source: BLS 2024-34 projection ↗Recommended Courses
required skills
top employers
- ·Milliman
- ·Aon
- ·Mercer
- ·MetLife
- ·Allstate
- ·Social Security Administration