The actuarial profession has been rated as the second best job in the United States by the Jobs Rated Almanac (Sixth Edition, 2002). The popular reference book lists the profession above other highly regarded careers such as accountant or attorney. Not only that, for the past five editions of the almanac, the profession has never been ranked lower than fourth. Looking at this current salary table, it is not surprising why they ranked the profession so high.
The reality is that the actuarial profession has benefited from the heightened fear and uncertainty that have persisted since September 11, 2001 due to the increased demand for risk assessment and management. And with growing uncertainty with the economy, the demand for actuaries by large corporations for investment planning will be greater than ever.
The Top Ten Reasons to Consider Being An Actuary…
(this list courtesy of www.beanactuary.com/college)
- You don’t want to go to graduate school
- You want a professional title, but don’t want to be a doctor, lawyer, or accountant
- You want a career that is dynamic and challenging
- You want a career that you control because advancement is merit-based
- You want a career with many opportunities that will provide you with skills that are transferrable across multiple industries
- You want a career with superior job security through economic cycles
- You would like to “earn while you learn”
- You want to be able to choose among outstanding job offers
- You are self-motivated, goal oriented, and have superior math aptitude and communication skills
- You want a highly competitive salary and excellent benefits
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has a lengthy description of the actuarial profession through its Occupational Outlook Handbook. There is a wealth of information on this website; for instance, the U.S. BLS is predicting that employment of actuaries is expected to grow faster than average
