Actuary
Use statistics to price risk for insurers and pension funds — how much a policy should cost and what could go wrong.
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- Typical pay
- €40k–€90k
- Usual education
- Degree + professional exams
- Outlook
- Strong and stable; qualified actuaries are consistently in short supply.
A day in the life
Model claims data, update assumptions after new mortality figures, explain pricing to an underwriting team, and study for the next professional exam.
Ways in
- Maths or statistics degree
- Actuarial apprenticeship
- Graduate scheme with exam sponsorship
What to study at 16
The subjects you choose for the final years of secondary school can shape which degrees, exams and careers are easiest to reach. This is about choosing courses, not choosing a school.
Austria
HAK – Business college
A common destination for students on this track.
Denmark
HHX – Business gymnasium
A common destination for students on this track.
Spain
Bachillerato de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales
Portugal
Ciências Socioeconómicas
France
Bac général — spécialités
Germany
Oberstufe — Leistungskurse
Skills that matter
Best courses to take
The study routes that lead most directly into this career.
BSc Actuarial Science
Statistics and risk modelling for insurance, pensions and finance.
The specialist degree, with exam exemptions.
Helpful school subjects: Maths, Further maths, Statistics
BSc Economics
How markets, money and policy interact, with a strong quantitative core.
Viable if you take the professional exams separately.
Helpful school subjects: Maths, Economics
Places that hire for this
Aviva
Internships, apprenticeships and graduate programmes open to students in this area.
EY
Actuarial consulting with exam sponsorship
Fidelidade
Actuarial and underwriting trainees learn on real portfolios from the first months.
Legal & General
Internships, apprenticeships and graduate programmes open to students in this area.
Swiss Re
Internships, apprenticeships and graduate programmes open to students in this area.
UniCredit
Insurance and pensions actuarial teams
UNIQA Insurance Group
Actuarial trainee routes in health and life insurance.
Vienna Insurance Group
Group actuarial function covering CEE markets.
Zurich Insurance Group
Internships, apprenticeships and graduate programmes open to students in this area.