An actuary is a business professional who analyzes the financial consequences of risk. They interpret statistics to determine probabilities of accidents, sickness, death, and loss of property from theft and natural disasters. Actuaries use mathematics, statistics and financial theory to study uncertain future events, especially concerning insurance and pension programs. Actuaries are considered the “financial architects” of the business world. The field is highly competitive and prepares students to pass exams that lead to certification by the Society of Actuaries. Actuaries are in high demand and work for insurance companies, consulting and investment firms, government, employee benefit departments of large corporations, hospitals, and banks. The CareerCast.com's 2010 Jobs Rated Actuary as the #1 career opportunity.Possible Job Titles of Actuarial Graduates:Actuarial Assistant Actuarial Analyst Associate Underwriter Trainee Starting Salary Information:Class of 2011 St. John’s undergraduate Actuarial Science majors averaged $59,666Skills Required: Strong math (calculus) and statistical comprehension (probability) Analytical thinking Proficiency in programming languages (VB) and database manipulation Detail oriented and complicated problem solver Persistence and self-motivation Strong written and oral communication Ability to work with othersAdditional Resources:Society of Actuaries (SOA)www.soa.org BeAnActuary.orgwww.beanactuary.org Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS)www.casact.org American Academy of Actuarieswww.actuary.org O*NET US Department of Labor Career Guide, 2011 Actuarial Careerswww.bls.gov/ooh/ocos041.htm American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuarieswww.aspa.org