I am terribly conflicted over which one to choose as a college major. I enjoyed my high school accounting and statistics classes very much, but both of these careers seem lucrative. With accounting, I’ll be making less but working more hours, but it seems that actuaries make more than accountants and work less than them. The only downside is the fact that there are around 10 exams you gotta pass to get that upper tier salary that I would like to have. I do not like exams…at all. With accounting, it’s a CPA and that’s about it.
But then again, I see quite a few job openings in PA for senior tax auditors that promise a salary of at least 90k…seems like an incredible career as well.
*I had a 100 in accounting and a 99 average in AP Statistics if that matters 
*I intend on attending Penn State Harrisburg for all 4 years.
I am an accounting major and currently hating it. If you like both, then that’s a positive. To be an actuary you will need a degree in math or statistics. Both majors will lead you to good money. The money/hours you describe sounds like Big4 accounting. If you are an accountant for a regular company, then they work normal hours and make good money. I have been told,that CPA is VERY HARD; good students fail it all the time and you usually need a Master’s degree to take it. You have to be really good about studying on your own and you will spend countless hours doing it. Do more research on the them.
I think either one sounds good for a solid career. You should try shadowing one of each if you can to get a feel of the daily flow and get firsthand insight. But first get into college and see how you like accounting classes vs. statistics. I know the 10 tests for the actuary career sound daunting but I think if you can stick with it, you can make more money with less stress once you’re through it. Nobody likes exams! However, if what’s important to you is making a lot of money with not a lot of stress then it might be worth it in the long run. How much grit and perseverance do you have? Just something to think about.