We surveyed 837 actuaries to learn what personality traits and interests make them unique. Here are the results.


Holland Codes

Actuaries are conventional and investigative

Actuaries tend to be predominantly conventional individuals, meaning that they are usually detail-oriented and organized, and like working in a structured environment. They also tend to be investigative, which means that they are quite inquisitive and curious people that often like to spend time alone with their thoughts.

If you are one or both of these archetypes, you may be well suited to be an actuary. However, if you are social, this is probably not a good career for you. Unsure of where you fit in? Take the career test now.

Here’s how the Holland codes of the average actuary break down:


Big Five

The top personality traits of actuaries are extraversion and openness

Actuaries score highly on extraversion, meaning that they rely on external stimuli to be happy, such as people or exciting surroundings. They also tend to be high on the measure of openness, which means they are usually curious, imaginative, and value variety.

Once again, let’s break down the components of the personality of an average actuary: