Swap to Social media or Software & systems or go back to all job sectors
Actuaries work with companies and government departments, to help them forecast long-term financial costs and investment risks.
You could work: between 8am and 6pm;
In this role you could:
You could work in an office, at a client's business or remotely.
You can get into this job through:
You can get into this job by doing a degree and then joining a graduate actuarial training scheme.
Most employers will look for a degree with a high level of mathematical skills. For example:
A course with a placement year or a summer internship will give you valuable experience and an advantage when you apply for work.
You could take a postgraduate degree in actuarial science that may allow you to qualify as an actuary in a shorter time.
Some actuarial companies may offer sponsorship for postgraduate courses.
You'll usually need:
You may be able to start by completing an actuarial technician higher apprenticeship or actuary degree apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
You may improve your chances of finding a trainee position if you have some work experience in an actuarial department. You can find details about internships and work placements through the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.
You may be able to switch to actuarial work from a related profession, like risk management, financial services or business analysis. You would then follow an employer training programme to qualify.
You can join the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries to begin training and to take professional exams as you progress.
You'll find more details about careers in the actuarial profession, training and case studies from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.
You could specialise in a particular field, like life insurance or healthcare, or move into consultancy work, accountancy or banking.
With experience, you could take on more responsibility for managing people or projects. You could progress within a company or change specialism with another firm.
You could work for the Government Actuaries Department (GAD) advising on public sector finances.
You may improve your chances of finding a trainee position if you have some work experience in an actuarial department. You can find details about internships and work placements through the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.
You may be able to switch to actuarial work from a related profession, like risk management, financial services or business analysis. You would then follow an employer training programme to qualify.
The first step to qualifying as an actuary is to join the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) as a student member, and then study for professional exams whilst working as a trainee actuary.
You'll find more details about careers in the actuarial profession, training and case studies from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.