Some personal experience on actuarial salaries (at IB so high end of salary range):-
Graduated '03 no exams and went to US - starting salary 35,000GBP basic + sign - on 5,000GBP.
8 exams, approx 3,500GBP per exam, bonuses approx 15-50% of base (at junior levels - multiples at senior levels), pay rise annually of around 10% of base
10 years - 200,000GBP. 20 years - Ms. (assuming you're responsibilities grow beyond 10 yrs).
Pros -
- Well Respected.
- Good Money.
- Internationally transferable, international opportunities.
- Low turnover.
I now want to go back to uni. Why?
- How much money do you really need?
- What do you really enjoy doing the most?
- Can be elitist.
- Very Long hours - unpublicised, but I have at times done the "IB" hours, average around 14-16 hours per day (which believe me is ALOT of hours - it can wear you down).
As an aside point.
IB - VERY high drop out rates, VERY long hours, VERY competitive, VERY hard to get started in.
Big 4 Consultancies - Partners are VERY well paid, everyone else is an expense and are overworked and under paid. Having some knowledge of that sector (lots of actuaries in the US in the Big 4), only around 5-10% of grads get through to Partner level, most of the Partners have lots of experience at other non-consultancy companies. Remember - you are a consultant, but if you don't know what you are talking about AND/OR have no industry credentials, then you can't pull in the business and therefore can't make partner.
Hope that helps.