What are the Odds? Vault Publishes Actuarial Career Guide

Once primarily found in the insurance industry, actuaries are now found throughout corporate America, “helping executives make intelligent and informed financial decisions,” according to a press release.  

The Vault Guide to Actuarial Careers shows readers how to begin an actuarial career – which a Vault press release describes as “one of the most creative options for a statistician, economist or mathematician” – as well as how to advance their career. It provides the reader an inside look at interview questions, landing interviews, typical work days, salaries, and top actuarial employers.

A Big Attraction – Pay

One of the biggest attractions for the actuarial profession is salary.   “Few career choices for mathematics majors will yield a larger pay than actuarial work,” claims the Vault Guide. In fact, according to the Society of Actuaries, an associate-level actuary earns more than an average MBA graduate. The SOA estimates most Fellows earn between $150,000 and $250,000 annually. Yet a Fellow working for a major financial services firm could earn $500,000 or more each year in base pay plus salary, while the same Fellow working for a public pension fund or the government can expect $125,000.   Most federal government actuaries can expect to start in the $50,000 to $60,000 range.

Vault notes that, in addition to helping insurers mitigate the chances of losses, actuaries help weigh risk in pension funds, stock and bond portfolios, and even hedge funds. Actuaries also work in areas beyond the financial industry, helping to determine and alleviate risks for product launches, production facility expansions and much more.

You can read more about the 216 page book – and order it (for just $29.95) at http://www.vault.com/store/book_preview.jsp?product_id=45132&industry=0 .