Actuaries
Actuaries analyze financial statements to help companies and individuals make the best decisions.
Actuaries help organizations be prepared in the case of a death or disability and help businesses and people decide how to invest. They combine a working knowledge of statistics, finances and businesses. If these areas interest you, you might be good at assessing risks and possibilities and you would probably be a good actuary.
Most actuaries work for insurance companies and some work for management, scientific and consulting businesses, brokers and government agencies.
To land a good job in this field you will need a bachelor’s degree in something like mathematics, statistics, actuarial science, finance, economics or business. Some actuaries certify with the Society of Actuaries (SOA) or the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) to help further their career and make them more valuable. Certification requires the passing of several exams and usually takes a few years, so most people work in the industry while working toward certification.
Employment opportunities for actuaries is expected to grow very quickly in the next few years. But, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also predicts that there will be lots of competition for these jobs because there will be more qualified candidates than positions available. The average salary for actuaries is about $84,000 and some make more than $160,000.