Which is More in Demand: Actuary or Pharmacist?

[GirlInDoubt]

What job is in higher demand right now? Which do you think will be in higher demand in the upcoming decades? Actuary or Pharmacist?
Are Actuaries or Pharmacist in higher demand? Which do you think will be in high demand for the upcoming decades? Do you think that robots will replace most of the Pharmacist jobs? UCSF has already created a robot that does what PharmDs and Pharmacy technicians do- flawlessly. Will the advancement in technology decrease the demand for pharmacist significantly? And even if does, do you think Pharmacist or Actuaries will be higher in demand?

 

[Locrian]

If there were many more job openings for pharmacists (compared to actuaries) but more applicants per position, would that mean there was more or less demand for pharmacists?

If there were more actuarial positions employers were desperate to fill (and unable to find a candidate for), but none of them were entry level, what would that mean to you?

Are you sure you're going about this whole career choosing thing the right way?

 

[twofish-quant]

This sorts of questions are self-destroying. If everyone thinks that job A will be in demand, then everyone will study for job A leaving a glut, whereas if everyone thinks that job B is overwhelmed, then no one will study for them leading to a storage.

You are actually better off rolling the dice and then choosing what the outcome is.

 

[hyurnat4]

Actuary has only garnered attention recently, since it has been topping the "top X jobs" lists. Therefore a whole swath of fresh-faced math geniuses have clogged up the available jobs. It's still a great career, but a very competitive one.

 

[GirlInDoubt]

If there were many more job openings for pharmacists (compared to actuaries) but more applicants per position, would that mean there was more or less demand for pharmacists?

If there were more actuarial positions employers were desperate to fill (and unable to find a candidate for), but none of them were entry level, what would that mean to you?

Are you sure you're going about this whole career choosing thing the right way?

good points.
I'm just completely clueless about which profession to choose, as I like both. But I know I have to make a decision quickly because the Acturary classes are generally more difficult for me, which would lower my GPA if I also want to do Pharmacist.

 

[Locrian]

Can you confirm whether you're in the US or Canada or other? Because it may not be wise to take actuarial science classes.

 

[jedishrfu]

the question about which one to choose reminds me of the story about a boatman and a philosopher

A philosopher asks a boatman to take him across the river,
While enroute he asks the boatman if he's ever studied philosophy and the boatman says no
So the philosopher says well then you've lost half a life.

Just then a great wind begins blowing and tossing the boat about and it hits a rock.

Boatman asks hurriedly: Can you swim? and philosopher says No!
and boatman replies well then you may have lost all a life.
In PharmD you learn something that is decidedly more practical than actuarial science but may not pay as well but hey you might get a break on life insurance :-)

The link has a Physics oriented story version:

http://my.englishclub.com/profiles/blogs/the-philosopher-and-the

 

[Locrian]

A good understanding of actuarial science should give one a deeper understanding of the financial system as a whole, a good feeling for the time value of money, a solid introduction into risk management and a comprehensive knowledge of both private (life, health & property) insurance and public (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and public pensions) insurance.

How practical that is will depend on the individual. In my case I do not go to doctors and take no medications. I am interested and involved politically. Actuarial science is infinitely more practical for me than knowing drug interactions. It will be different for others.

I don’t know any actuaries who get discounts on their life insurance.

 

[H2Bro]

The question might also be phrased as:

Would you like to be able to produce your own hallucinogenic substances OR
Would you like to be able to appreciate from a distance the risks of producing your own hallucinogenic substances?

More seriously though there are so many difficulties with trying to predict a job market 4 years out. Robots could potentially replace pharmacists, but perhaps software packages can replace some actuaries? As a degree that's currently listed as highly desirable, will there be a glut of applicants in 4 years? Possibly, but world wide developments might necessitate a demand higher than that future supply. I would think the goat-in-the-snake population of babyboomer's would need pharmaceuticals but then perhaps the world will need actuarials to rethink retirement payment plans to support more retiree's on less workers.

Should I go to the grocery store at 6 o clock when its busy? or maybe I will go at 3 pm when no one else is there. But what about all those other people at 3pm trying to beat the lines too?

If you have no clear preference for subject matter then maybe go with what your best at. A great pharmacist will likely beat out a mediocre actuarial for jobs even if the demand is somewhat less. Or maybe not - there is a recent story of a phD in pharmaceuticals who was protesting at Occupy Wall St about how she could not find a job, only to be given a job by a Wall St. Exec who happened to be passing by.