<p>I'm curious if any adult can help me understand about being an Actuary, what kind of life it is, and how much they make, etc?</p>
<p>Here's a link that should answer most of your questions:
<a href="http://www.beanactuary.org/links.cfm%5B/url%5D">http://www.beanactuary.org/links.cfm</a></p>
<p>Though not an actuary, I know a number of them and use some as consutlants and experts. About half of all actuaries are employed in the insurance industry, most of the others are in various financial businesses including investment banking firms, mutual fund organizations, etc. There really are not many actuaries (probably no more than 20,000) and demand for them is generally high. Starting salaries out of college are likely in the mid-40's range and many experienced actuaries who are Fellows of the Society of Actuaries or the Casualty Actuarial Society are often well into six figures. To become a Fellow, you need to take a series of exams which many start in college and then finish 5 to 8 years later -- the exams are tough and each requires a lot of studying. Also, being an actuary is often a road to higher things, particularly if you also get your MBA--I am aware of three actuaries who went on to become the Presidents and, in one case the CEO and chairman, of insurance companies.</p>
<p>What does an actuary do: it is somewhat of a mystery but basically they gather and collate a lot of data, make future projections based on it, which can be used for current pricing and planning. Example: they are the ones who basically do most of the analysis for life insurance companies to project losses and thier timing and what needs to be charged in premium. Of course many do a lot of other things (I know of one, who does historical placement/win analysis and studies to create projections and odds for such things as the World Series of Poker). </p>
<p>It is a heavy math/statistics field and you need to be a master of the computer and love to consume huge amounts of information and format it into related events and into statisical and computer form. </p>
<p>They are usually highly respected where they are -- when everyone else in an insurance company talks about the actuaries there is a kind aura to the conversation. Every actuary I know loves their job -- there is tedium but they get to do what many love most: play with the computer and think.</p>
<p>wow, thanks drusba. I like to play with the computer and think, I'll seriously look towards Actuarial Scence.</p>
<p>An actuary joke I heard once:</p>
<p>"Actuaries are people who didn't have enough personality to become accountants."</p>
<p>I've never known an actuary, so I don't know if the joke has any basis in fact, but it sounded funny.</p>
<p>another useful link:</p>
<p><a href="http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos041.htm%5B/url%5D">http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos041.htm</a></p>