According to the Wall Street Journal, “An actuary interprets statistics to determine probabilities of accidents, sickness, and death, and loss of property from theft and natural disasters”. This narrow definition does not reflect the recent expansion of the duties and opportunities of actuaries. A more current definition could be: “Actuaries are specially-trained professionals who use their knowledge of probability, statistics, and specific models to evaluate and price risks”. Actuaries are business professionals who use mathematical skills to define, analyze, and solve business and social problems. They are generally employed in life, health, and property/casualty insurance companies, consulting firms, and government. In the U.S., actuaries are certified through a rigorous series of professional exams administered by the Society of Actuaries (SoA) and the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS). These exams are approved internationally, through numerous mutual recognition agreements between American and foreign actuarial bodies. The #1 Job in the United States: Actuary Since 1988, the editors of the Wall Street Journals’ CareerJournal.com publish regularly a ranking of 250 occupations in the US, from accountant to zoologist. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as studies from trade associations and industry groups, are used to rank jobs on the basis of six key criteria: income, employment outlook, environment, stress, physical demands, and security. Actuaries have never ranked below fourth in all editions of this Jobs Rated Almanac. The current ranking (2010) is: Actuary Software Engineer Computer Systems Analyst Biologist Historian Mathematician Paralegal Assistant Statistician Accountant Dental Hygienist CareerCast.com also publishes an annual jobs report, ranking 200 jobs on criteria such as work environment, income, outlook, and stress. Actuaries ranked first in the 2013 ranking. The first ten jobs are: Actuary Biomedical Engineer Software Engineer Audiologist Financial Planner Dental Hygienist Occupational Therapist Optometrist Physical Therapist Computer Systems Analyst Actuarial Science at the University of Pennsylvania Actuarial science is one of the concentrations offered to Wharton School students. Students from other Schools may minor in actuarial mathematics.

Acturial science and related fields