QUOTE(Gabbidon @ Apr 17 2010, 03:41 PM)
What is the different between Statistics and Actuary Science?
Which one can earn more?
The question that you asked was a bit like asking "Mechanical Engineering" or "Electrical Engineering" can earn more. (Note: I am not saying that Statistics/Actuarial Science degree holder salary is same as Engineer. Both of the degree are usually just a 3 year degree). Both can work similar job except that Actuarial Science do have a better name instead of Statistics. The main point is actually not what degree that you study but what and how much did you learn from it. A person cannot judge whether a Statistics degree or Actuarial Science degree holder is better by just looking at what the person studied as degree.
Actuarial Science seems to be very hard but it is only hard in the professional paper. In terms of how hard can it be in University level course exam, i would say that pure mathematics/statistics can be very hard also. There are a lot of variables such as tutor, lecturer, course content,... which can affect how hard can a degree be.
The content of both of the degree will not be the same for each university who offering the degree but the main difference is Actuarial Science will surely study a bit more in finance while Statistics degree usually do not have chance to learn much in finance.
Both of the degree still study about mathematics, statistics and probability. Actually that quite a lot of courses are/can be the same for both of the degree.
Quite a lot of employer/people do think that Actuarial Science degree is better because they are not able to understand what it means by professional paper and a degree. Statistics degree holder can take the professional paper too except that Statistics degree holder may need to spend more time to study it and take more exam such as the VEE exam that normally Actuarial Science degree in Local University can get exemption for it if passed the selected courses in University in a grade better than B-/B/B+(i cannot remember the exact grade) while statistics degree holder have to take extra exam for it.