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Leading Companies & Markets

The leading market sector for actuaries is financial services. This includes health insurance, general insurance (car, house, contents, boat etc), life insurers (death, disability and critical illness), reinsurers, wealth management organisations, and the major banks. There is also a variety of consulting firms, including small businesses, larger actuarial specialists and the prominent professional services firms.

The recent volatility in financial services plus advancements in technology is having a positive effect on the demand for actuaries. The increased focus on risk management has provided broader opportunities for actuaries. Greater awareness of the applicability of actuarial techniques to wider fields has also improved the diversity of employment.

Environment & Culture

For the most part, actuaries are based in offices in a professional working environment. This career has the perception of a back office function, head down, surrounded by a sea of spreadsheets and numbers as you tap away on the keyboard. Yes, computer work with financial, mathematical and statistical modelling may take up a large part of your day but there is often the opportunity to do meet clients and attend meetings both inside and outside your organisation. The culture of your organisation is difficult to predict. However, this is traditionally a conservative, risk avoidance industry. The information is precise, demands and pace may vary but generally you are working with professionals in a contemporary office environment.