Skip to main content
The Actuary: The magazine of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries - return to the homepage Logo of The Actuary website
  • Search
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on LinkedIn
  • Visit @TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Visit the website of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Logo of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

Main navigation

  • News
  • Features
    • General Features
    • Interviews
    • Students
    • Opinion
  • Topics
  • Knowledge
    • Business Skills
    • Careers
    • Events
    • Predictions by The Actuary
    • Whitepapers
  • Jobs
  • IFoA
    • CEO Comment
    • IFoA News
    • People & Social News
    • President Comment
  • Archive

Topics

  • Data Science
  • Investment
  • Risk & ERM
  • Pensions
  • Environment
  • Soft skills
  • General Insurance
  • Regulation Standards
  • Health care
  • Technology
  • Reinsurance
  • Global
  • Life insurance
Quick links:
  • Home
  • The Actuary Issues
  • April 2016
04

US jobs rankings 2016: actuaries drop to 10th place

Open-access content 14th April 2016

Being an actuary has been ranked the 10th best job in the US out of 200 jobs, according to online recruitment site CareerCast.com.

2


Its latest annual Jobs Related report based the rankings on four core criteria: environment, income, outlook and stress.

Data scientists were given pole position due to a "promising employment outlook" and "lucrative opportunities".

The careers site noted that out of the top 10 professions listed, four of them were maths-intensive: data scientist, statistician (second place), mathematician (ranked number six) and actuary.

It said this equalled a "booming market for those who deal with numbers". Last year, the role of an actuary topped the list. 

CareerCast explained that data science was a relatively new field. The job combines information technology, statistical analysis and other disciplines to interpret trends from data. 

Within the top-10 best jobs, actuaries came fourth in terms of annual median salary ($96,700) after data scientists, mathematicians and software engineers.

For growth outlook, actuaries and information security analysts have 18% of projected employment growth by 2024, after statisticians, audiologists, diagnostic medical sonographers, mathematicians, computer systems analysts and speech therapists. 

The profession of information security analyst was a new addition to the report, making third place. 

"With an increasing number of data breaches and hacking attempts affecting companies and governments around the globe, there's a greater need for information security analysts to keep personal and top-secret information safe from cyber-attacks," explained the website. 

By contrast, the worst job was newspaper reporter, followed by tree logger, broadcaster and disc jockey. 

"Declining employment opportunities contributed to the inclusion of many of the 10 worst careers in the 2016 Jobs Rated report," said Kyle Kensing, online content editor at CareerCast. 

"Traditional news media is particularly hard hit due to newspapers folding or moving to digital-only, and waning advertising revenue."


Top 10 best jobs and how they fared in 2015 in brackets, with annual median salary and growth outlook to 2024:


1. Data scientist (+5) - $128,240, 16.02%

2. Statistician (+2) - $79,990, 34%

3. Information security analyst (N/A) - $88,890, 18%

4. Audiologist (-2) - $73,060, 29%

5. Diagnostic medical sonographer (N/A) - $62,540, 24%

6. Mathematician (-3) - $103,720, 21%

7. Software engineer (+1) - $97,990, 17%

8. Computer systems analyst (+1) - $82,710, 21%

9. Speech pathologist (+2) - $71,550, 21%

10. Actuary (-9) - $96,700, 18%

This article appeared in our April 2016 issue of The Actuary.
Click here to view this issue
Filed in:
04
Topics:
Professional
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Director of Investment Risk

London (Central)
+ comprehensive benefits
Reference
118783

Qualified Reporting and Process Improvement

London (Central)
£90,000 - £100,000
Reference
118762

Risk Actuary

London (Central)
Market Rates + 20% bonus + benefits
Reference
118782
See all jobs »
 
 

Most-Popular

 
 
 

Sign up to our newsletter

News, jobs and updates

Sign up

Subscribe to The Actuary

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
Spread-iPad-slantB-june.png
​
FOLLOW US
The Actuary on LinkedIn
@TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Facebook: The Actuary Magazine
CONTACT US
The Actuary
Tel: (+44) 020 7880 6200
​

IFoA

About IFoA
Become an actuary
IFoA Events
About membership

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy
Think Green

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to The Actuary Magazine
Contribute

The Actuary Jobs

Actuarial job search
Pensions jobs
General insurance jobs
Solvency II jobs

© 2020 The Actuary. The Actuary is published on behalf of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries by Redactive Publishing Limited, Level 5, 78 Chamber Street, London, E1 8BL. Tel: 020 7880 6200