Skills
Actuary Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in actuaries, and how to build and show them.
What skills do actuaries need?
Actuaries need technical skills such as probability and statistics, financial math, and modeling, plus people skills like persistence and communication. They also use tools such as Excel and R or Python.
Technical (hard) skills
- Probability and statistics
- Financial math
- Modeling
- Programming
- Insurance knowledge
- Data analysis
People (soft) skills
- Persistence
- Communication
- Attention to detail
- Business sense
Tools, equipment and technology
- Excel
- R or Python
- SQL
- Actuarial software
- SAS
- Business intelligence tools
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how actuaries put their skills to work:
- How to plan your path through actuarial exams
- How to estimate claims not yet reported
- How to explain an actuarial result to executives
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Probability and statistics” and “Financial math.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “persistence,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as ASA or FSA near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our actuary glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Actuary training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.