Career roadmap

How to become an Actuary

$120,000 median/yr·Suits people who are strongly conventional

Median annual wage for Actuaries (15-2011) — BLS OEWS, May 2023.

What you would actually do

The tasks that make up the work of an Actuary, weighted by how central each one is to the job.

Collaborate with others to develop or implement marketing strategies.
Analyze health-related data.
Develop organizational goals or objectives.
Analyze data to identify trends or relationships among variables.
Advise customers on technical or procedural issues.
Advise others on legal or regulatory compliance matters.
Manage financial activities of the organization.
Negotiate contracts with clients or service providers.

The skills that actually carry the job

Scored on how much the work depends on each one — not a wishlist, a measurement.

Reading Comprehension4.3/5
Mathematics4.3/5
Critical Thinking4.3/5
Judgment and Decision Making4.3/5
Active Listening4.0/5
Complex Problem Solving4.0/5
Systems Evaluation4.0/5
Speaking3.9/5
Systems Analysis3.9/5
Writing3.5/5

Would this suit you?

Every occupation leans on a particular mix of interests. Here is the mix measured for an Actuary — and our free 2-minute Career Match scores you on the same six.

Conventional6.2/7
Ordering, checking, following a precise procedure accurately
Investigative4.4/7
Investigating, diagnosing, reasoning through problems with evidence
Enterprising3.4/7
Persuading, leading, selling, taking commercial risk
Social2.5/7
Helping, teaching, caring for and working directly with people
Realistic1.8/7
Hands-on, practical, working with tools, machines or the body
Artistic1.2/7
Creating, expressing, working without a fixed procedure

See how you score — 2 min, free

Interest profiles from the O*NET 29.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0.