Actuary
Actuaries price risk — how likely it is, and what it costs.
Don't just read it — play it
Clock in at 9am and make the calls a Actuary makes all day. Six decisions, real consequences, a score at 5pm.
What this role really is
Actuarial work is one of the most structured career paths available to math majors: pass exams, get raises, keep going. You model future events — accidents, illness, retirement — and set the prices and reserves that keep an insurer solvent. Stable, well-paid, and demanding of real quantitative discipline.
- Build risk and pricing models
- Set reserves for future claims
- Study exams alongside working
- Explain model results to non-actuaries
- Test assumptions against actual experience
What it pays
- Entry level
- $70k–$90k
- Mid career
- $110k–$150k
- Senior
- $180k+
Typically 9–5, plus exam study time
Majors that get you here
Entry roles: Actuarial Analyst · Actuarial Intern · Pricing Analyst · Reserving Analyst
Your 9-to-5, hour by hour
A realistic ordinary day — not the highlight reel.
9:00 AM
Experience study
You compare last quarter's claims to what the model predicted.
11:00 AM
Pricing model
You adjust a rating factor and check the effect across segments.
1:30 PM
Peer review
A colleague checks your assumptions and finds one you can't defend.
3:00 PM
Writing
You document the change so a regulator could follow it.
5:00 PM
Exam study
Two hours of practice problems before dinner.
Great for you if
- You like math with a clear career ladder
- You can study consistently for years
- You value stability and work-life balance
Probably not for you if
- You want fast-moving, chaotic work
- Exams for five years sounds miserable