An actuary is a professional with advanced mathematical skills who deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty. [1] These risks can affect both sides of the balance sheet and require asset management, liability management, and valuation skills. [2]

What Is an Actuary? An actuary is a risk management professional who uses data analysis and probabilities to determine the cost of risk.

Step-by-step guide to becoming an actuary in 2026. Covers education paths, exam breakdowns (SOA & CAS), salary data, career changer advice, and emerging skills — updated regularly by the actuary.info newsroom.

What is an actuary? Actuaries are problem solvers and strategic thinkers, who use their mathematical skills to help measure the probability and risk of future events.

The resources for becoming an actuary are found here on our website, where you can plan, study and register for every step along the way. We’ll help make the process clear, connecting you with a community of fellow candidates.

Being a Chartered Actuary is the ideal career for anyone who wants to use mathematical skills to analyse issues, challenge conventional thinking and have a positive impact on people’s lives.

An actuary is a professional expert on analyzing risk. Beyond crunching numbers, actuaries think three-dimensionally, using their knowledge of math, human behavior, and business realities to identify the likely real-world outcomes.

From pencil-and-paper to punchcards to current high-speed devices, the modeling and forecasting ability of the actuary has rapidly improved while still being heavily dependent on the assumptions input into the models; actuaries have needed to adjust to this new world.

So, what does an actuary do? An actuary uses large amounts of data along with their expertise in statistics and finance to determine how much money should be set aside now in order to pay for costly events that may randomly occur in the future.

Actuary in a Nutshell An actuary is a professional who uses mathematical, statistical, and financial theories to assess and manage risks. Their primary role involves analyzing data to predict future events (e.g., accidents or illnesses) and their financial impacts.