Overall Job Description

• Actuaries analyze data to estimate the probability and likely cost to the company of an event such as death, sickness, injury, disability, or loss of property.
• Actuaries generally have a bachelor’s degree and must pass a series of examinations—often taking 4 to 8 years—to gain full professional status.
• About 55 percent of actuaries are employed by insurance carriers.
• Actuaries have desk jobs, and their offices usually are comfortable and pleasant. While most actuaries work at least 40 hours a week, those in consulting type jobs may be required to travel and thus work more than 40 hours per week.
• Median annual wages of actuaries were $84,810 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $62,020 and $119,110. The lowest 10 percent had wages less than $49,150, while the top 10 percent earned more than $160,780.
• I got all this information from (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos041.htm)