Occupation
Actuary
Actuaries model uncertain future events such as claims, mortality, or longevity, and translate them into prices, reserves, and capital requirements. Qualification usually runs through a long series of professional examinations taken while working, and much of the job is defending assumptions rather than running models.
Also known as: Actuarial analyst · Pricing actuary · Consulting actuary · Reserving actuary · Pensions actuary
Occupation content
Part of Finance, accounting and insurance
What the work involves
- Build and maintain models of claims, mortality, longevity, or other contingencies.
- Set assumptions and test how sensitive results are to changing them.
- Price insurance or pension products and calculate the reserves held against them.
- Check data quality and completeness before it feeds a model.
- Prepare technical reports for boards, trustees, auditors, and regulators.
- Explain what the numbers mean to people without an actuarial background.
How people commonly enter
- A degree in actuarial science, mathematics, statistics, economics, or a related quantitative subject.
- An actuarial trainee role with an employer that sponsors professional examinations.
- An actuarial apprenticeship or technician route leading into the professional exams.
- A postgraduate qualification in actuarial science after a quantitative first degree.
Typical training: Bachelor's degree
Licensing: Regulated in some jurisdictions — confirm the current requirement with the regulator in your province, state, or country.
Pathways: Apprenticeship route
Typical work context
Desk based · Quiet focus · Team based · High responsibility
Related interests
Investigative (analytical) · Conventional (organizing)
Related aptitude preparation
These are preparation links only. They do not measure eligibility for this occupation and no score here qualifies or disqualifies anyone.
Skills to practise
Practice suites
Related learning
Family-level learning links for Finance, accounting and insurance.
Official sources
Labour-market facts such as pay and employment projections are not reproduced here. Open an official source below for figures, with its own geography and reference period.
- O*NET OnLine — Actuaries (15-2011.00) · United States
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- UK National Careers Service — Actuary · United Kingdom
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- Canada Job Bank — Explore careers (occupation search) · Canada
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Labour-market context (not part of exploration match)
This is broad family-level context for Finance, accounting and insurance in Canada, not a figure for Actuary. It does not affect matching scores and is not an eligibility determination.
This is a broad Finance, accounting and insurance family. Explore the official profile for the chosen occupation; entry education and training can differ within the family.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Finance, accounting and insurance: education pathways
Some roles in Finance, accounting and insurance may be regulated. Confirm whether the specific role requires registration, certification, or a jurisdiction-specific licence.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Finance, accounting and insurance: licensing
Find jobs
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- Search Canada Job Bank · Canada
- Search USAJOBS · United States federal
- Search EURES · European Union / EEA
- Search Indeed · International (choose location on Indeed)