As seen on Actuary.net, FastCompany has included the actuarial profession in its list of 25 top jobs for 2005-2009
Actuary
What they do: An actuary, in short, is a risk assessor, which means most of them work in the insurance industry. There are three primary fields: property and casualty, life and health, and pensions. There’s a long series of examinations to become a full-fledged actuary. Non-analytical minds and those averse to handling vast amounts of data need not apply.
Why the job is hot: Job growth is solid because companies always need numbers people, the insurance industry looks primed to keep growing, and risk management is increasingly important. You’ll probably need a degree in math. A background in business wouldn’t hurt. Because of strong demand and relatively few qualified people, actuaries earn a nice living.
Job Growth Index: 25.25
Education Index: 88.9
Salary Range Index: 77.84
Innovation Index: 0Profile: Robin Harbage, manager of product development, Progressive Insurance
It’s nice to have the actuarial profession recognized, but I’m not too sure about this writeup. There’s no mention of the exams, which should be a major consideration for anyone considering following an actuarial path, for example. And, am I the only one who finds it somewhat incongruous that the profession is given an innovation rating of zero, yet they profile a product development actuary at Progressive?