Actuaries

What Actuaries Do

Analyze statistical data, such as mortality, accident, sickness, disability, and retirement rates and construct probability tables to forecast risk and liability for payment of future benefits. May ascertain insurance rates required and cash reserves necessary to ensure payment of future benefits.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Long-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

Not available

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Mathematicsimportance 4.9/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.0/5
• Economics and Accountingimportance 3.8/5
• English Languageimportance 3.7/5
• Law and Governmentimportance 3.0/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 2.9/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 2.4/5
• Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 2.3/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail5.0/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled5.0/5
• Spend Time Sitting4.9/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6/5
• Telephone Conversations4.5/5
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.4/5

Related Careers

• Personal Financial Advisors
• Financial Risk Specialists
• Financial and Investment Analysts
• Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
• Accountants and Auditors
• Economists
• Insurance Underwriters
• Statistical Assistants

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists98% skill match
• Urban and Regional Planners96% skill match
• Industrial-Organizational Psychologists96% skill match
• Operations Research Analysts96% skill match
• Financial Managers96% skill match
• Economists96% skill match
• Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists95% skill match
• Credit Analysts95% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 4.3/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 4.0/5
• Systems Evaluationimportance 4.0/5
• Systems Analysisimportance 3.9/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
• Service Orientationimportance 3.0/5
• Operations Analysisimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Attention to Detail
• Cautiousness
• Dependability
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Integrity
• Achievement Orientation
• Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• ConventionalHigh
• InvestigativeMedium
• EnterprisingMedium
• SocialLow
• RealisticLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where actuaries make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT9.29× national avg
2. 2Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA5.79× national avg
3. 3Lansing-East Lansing, MI4.84× national avg
4. 4Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT3.21× national avg
5. 5Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI3.05× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Financial ManagersCareer Change
• Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis SpecialistsCareer Change
• EconomistsCareer Change
• Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales AgentsCareer Change

See the full career path from Actuaries →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.