Last updated: August 2026
Pacific Life is a Fortune 500 company (#240 by gross revenue) with 158 years of continuous operation, an AM Best "A" or higher rating for 50+ consecutive years, and recognition as one of Ethisphere's 2026 World's Most Ethical Companies. Its summer internships span actuarial science, software engineering, data engineering, and sales across Newport Beach, Omaha, and Charlotte. Based on prior-cycle cadence, summer 2027 postings are expected to open around September to October 2026.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Pacific Life Workday Portal |
| Application window (2027–28) | Expected Sep–Oct 2026 (based on prior cycle) |
| Rolling? | Not confirmed; postings likely stay open 4–8 weeks |
| Eligibility | Current university students; actuarial exams strongly encouraged |
| Duration | 3 months (officially stated for actuarial track) |
| Compensation | ~$25/hr avg (Indeed); no employer-published figure |
| Return offers | Clear pipeline via StAR program; rate not published |
| Locations | Newport Beach CA, Omaha NE, Charlotte NC, Toronto Canada |
| # Tracks | 4 identified: Actuarial, Software Engineering, Sales, Data Engineering |
Pacific Life runs a structured summer internship anchored by its actuarial program, with additional tracks in software engineering, data engineering, and sales. The company is a mutual holding company (not publicly traded) with world-class financial strength ratings and a clear intern-to-full-time pipeline through its Student Actuarial Rotation Program.
Pacific Life's actuarial and finance teams value quantitative modeling, financial analysis, and data skills. The Yinan Zhao Investing & Financial Modeling Externship builds investment thesis and SEC filings analysis experience directly applicable to insurance valuation, while the HP Tech Ventures Deal Sourcing Externship develops the market research and competitive analysis that Pacific Life's strategy teams require. Both run fully remote, 4–11 weeks. Explore all Externships.
What Is a Pacific Life Internship?
The Pacific Life summer internship is a three-month paid program where students work on real business problems across actuarial science, technology, and sales. Pacific Life holds a Glassdoor rating of 3.5/5 from 688 reviews with particularly strong marks for diversity and inclusion (3.8) and compensation and benefits (3.8). Forbes named it one of America's Best Employers for Company Culture in 2026, and its actuarial careers page features multiple employees who started as interns and rose to senior roles.
When Do Pacific Life Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
Pacific Life posts its summer internship requisitions approximately 10 months before the start date, based on the summer 2026 cycle where the Chief Actuary promoted the Omaha position around September to October 2025. The company uses defined application windows with explicit closing dates rather than continuous rolling admissions.
Summer 2027 postings are not yet live (pre-open state). Use this window to pass SOA Exam P or FM, build Excel modeling skills, and research Pacific Life's product suite (annuities, life insurance, asset management). Consider entering the Correlation One AI Actuary Challenge for a guaranteed interview pathway.
Summer 2027 internship postings expected to open around September to October 2026 on Pacific Life's Workday portal. The actuarial track typically posts first. Apply within the first week since the window stays open only 4–8 weeks based on industry norms.
Application review, pre-interview assessments (possibly recorded video interview or quantitative assessment), and interview rounds. Pacific Life uses behavioral format with STAR-style examples. Glassdoor reports interview difficulty of 2.8/5.
Offers extended. Prepare for your assigned location (Newport Beach, Omaha, Charlotte, or Toronto). Research Pacific Life's actuarial functions: Pricing, Valuation, Product Design, Risk Management, ALM, and Reinsurance.
Three-month internship program. Actuarial interns work across pricing, valuation, and modeling functions. Strong performers are positioned for the Student Actuarial Rotation Program (StAR), Pacific Life's structured full-time conversion pathway.
How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.
Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open
Pacific Life's summer 2026 actuarial internship carried an explicit apply-by date of September 30, 2025, for the Legal track and November 8, 2025, for Purchasing. These are hard deadlines, not rolling windows. At mid-size insurers, actuarial intern requisitions typically fill within 4–8 weeks of posting because the applicant pool is concentrated among students with SOA exam progress. Missing the window by even two weeks means the cohort is already full.
Which Pacific Life Internship Programs Should You Target?
Pacific Life runs summer internships across four identified departments, with the actuarial program as its flagship and the only track with an officially stated three-month duration.
| Track | Focus | Duration | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Actuarial Internship | Pricing, valuation, modeling, risk management across life insurance and annuity products | ~12 weeks (3 months) | SOA exam progress (P/FM), Excel, statistical modeling, communication |
| Software Engineering Internship | IT and technology projects supporting insurance platform and digital tools | ~10–12 weeks | Python, Java, software development, agile methodology |
| Sales Internship | Internal wholesaling alongside financial advisors on annuity and mutual fund solutions | ~10–12 weeks | Communication, financial product knowledge, client relationship skills |
| Data Engineering Internship | Data pipelines, analytics infrastructure, and data-driven business insights | ~10–12 weeks | SQL, Python, data engineering tools, analytical thinking |
Track availability varies by cycle. Check Pacific Life's Workday portal starting September 2026 for summer 2027 openings.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
Pacific Life targets current university students with quantitative backgrounds for its actuarial flagship and general business skills for other tracks.
• Education: Currently enrolled in a bachelor's or higher degree program
• Majors (actuarial): Actuarial science, mathematics, statistics, or related quantitative fields
• SOA exams: Not explicitly required but strongly implied; passing Exam P or FM is a de facto expectation at Fortune 500 insurers
• Work authorization: Not stated publicly; verify per-posting when applications open
Does Pacific Life Have a GPA Cutoff for Interns?
Pacific Life does not publish a minimum GPA requirement for its internships on any public page. However, most actuarial internships at Fortune 500 insurers expect a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher as a baseline. That said, passing one or two SOA preliminary exams will carry significantly more weight than a marginal GPA difference. Demonstrate exam progress and quantitative project work to offset any GPA concerns.
What Skills Does Pacific Life Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
Pacific Life's actuarial careers page organizes work into seven distinct functions: Modeling, Pricing, Valuation, Product Design, Risk Management, Asset Liability Management, and Reinsurance. Each demands strong quantitative reasoning, and the company's growing emphasis on AI and data science (evidenced by the Correlation One AI Actuary Challenge) signals that modern programming skills are increasingly expected alongside traditional exam progress.
What Pacific Life looks for in interns
Skills across 5 Pacific Life intern & analyst job descriptions · Pacific Life actuarial careers page functional descriptions and intern testimonials, August 2026
Skills sourced from Pacific Life's actuarial careers page, intern testimonials, and the Correlation One AI Actuary Challenge requirements. No live intern JDs available (pre-open state).
How Is Demand for Actuarial Interns Moving Right Now?
Actuarial intern hiring right now: August 2026
Aggregate market data, all employers
The actuarial internship market remains steady with a structural shift toward candidates who combine traditional exam progress with programming and data science skills. Candidates with both SOA exams and Python/R experience have the strongest positioning.
Method: aggregate job posting data from major boards, August 2026.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
And every skill in that chart maps to a remote Externship.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Financial modeling & valuation | Pricing, Valuation, and ALM functions on the actuarial careers page | Yinan Zhao Investing & Financial Modeling |
| Data analysis & programming | Data Engineering intern role and the AI Actuary Challenge | NASCAR NY Racing Sports Analytics |
| Market research & investment analysis | Product Design, ALM & Economic Capital functions | HP Tech Ventures Deal Sourcing |
These externships build the quantitative modeling, data analysis, and investment research evidence that Pacific Life's actuarial and finance teams screen for in applications.
What Is the Pacific Life Application and Interview Process Like?
Pacific Life uses a four-step hiring process documented on its official careers page.
1. Apply via the Workday portal at pacificlife.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PacificLifeCareers. Create an account and upload your resume with SOA exam progress clearly noted.
2. Pre-interview step that may include a recorded video interview or quantitative assessment. Flexible scheduling is offered but you must complete it by any stated deadline.
3. Interview round(s) in virtual or in-person format using behavioral questions. Pacific Life advises preparing STAR-format examples from your work or academic experience. For actuarial roles, expect multi-stage interviews with various stakeholders.
4. Decision by the Talent Acquisition Partner, hiring manager, and interview team collectively. A background check (criminal, education, employment verification) follows an accepted offer.
Pacific Life also offers a guaranteed internship interview to winners of the Correlation One AI Actuary Challenge, providing an alternative entry pathway.
What Students on Reddit Say
Pacific Life is discussed primarily in actuarial communities on Reddit, with insights on culture, compensation, and work arrangements.
Pacific Life is known for a supportive actuarial community with solid culture and career development opportunities. The company invests in its actuaries, and the collaborative environment makes it a strong place to build an early career in insurance.
Actuarial compensation at Pacific Life's Newport Beach office is competitive, especially as you progress through exams. The pay scales up significantly once you have six or more exams passed, exceeding what many peers offer in the same market.
The Pacific Life Re office in Canada has a good culture with a small, collaborative team of about 150 people. The smaller office size means you get meaningful exposure to senior actuaries and direct involvement in projects.
How Do You Stand Out at Pacific Life?
First, pass SOA Exam P (Probability) or Exam FM (Financial Mathematics) before you apply. Pacific Life's StAR program offers paid study time, exam fees, and passing bonuses, signaling that exam progress is the top differentiator they value. Second, enter the Correlation One AI Actuary Challenge for a guaranteed internship interview at Newport Beach, Charlotte, Omaha, or Toronto. Third, study Pacific Life's annuity and life insurance product suite so you can discuss how a fixed indexed annuity works or how mortality tables influence term life pricing. This product knowledge shows you understand the business context your actuarial models will serve.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
Pacific Life competes for actuarial intern talent with other large life insurance and financial services companies offering structured early-career programs.
- Northwestern MutualLarger mutual insurer with a highly structured financial representative internship and actuarial pipelineGuide →
- MetLifeGlobal publicly traded insurer with larger intern cohorts and broader geographic reachGuide →
- AllstateP&C focused insurer with technology-forward internship programs and a larger brand presence among studentsGuide →
- Liberty MutualP&C and specialty insurer with a well-known rotational program and strong Boston presenceGuide →
Compare more insurance and finance programs in our Finance Internships Summer 2027 Guide.
FAQ
When do Pacific Life internship applications open for summer 2027?
Based on the summer-2026 cycle, Pacific Life is expected to post summer-2027 internship requisitions around September to October 2026. The actuarial internship typically posts first. Set up job alerts on their Workday careers portal to be notified the day postings go live.
Does Pacific Life review applications on a rolling basis?
Pacific Life has not published a rolling-admissions policy or hard deadline for internships. Based on industry norms for mid-size insurers, requisitions likely stay open for four to eight weeks and may close once the candidate pool is sufficient. Apply within the first week of posting.
What GPA do you need for a Pacific Life actuarial internship?
Pacific Life does not publish a minimum GPA requirement. However, most actuarial internships at Fortune 500 insurers expect a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Passing one or two SOA preliminary exams (Exam P and Exam FM) will carry more weight than a marginal GPA difference.
What is the Pacific Life interview process like?
The process has four stages: application via Workday, a pre-interview step that may include an assessment or recorded video interview, one or more live interviews in behavioral format, and a final decision by the hiring team. Prepare STAR-format examples from your work or academic experience.
Do Pacific Life interns get return offers?
Pacific Life does not publish a return-offer rate. However, the actuarial careers page features multiple employees who started as interns and converted to full-time through the Student Actuarial Rotation Program. One 2025 actuarial intern was hired as an Actuarial Analyst after her summer.
Are Pacific Life internships paid?
Yes. Indeed data shows the average Pacific Life intern earns approximately $24.93 per hour, which is 23 percent above the national average. Actuarial interns at Fortune 500 insurers typically earn $25 to $35 per hour depending on location and exam progress.
What skills does Pacific Life look for in actuarial interns?
Progress on SOA preliminary exams is the strongest signal. Beyond exams, Pacific Life's actuarial functions span pricing, valuation, modeling, risk management, and ALM, so coursework in probability, financial mathematics, and statistics matters. Excel proficiency, Python or R skills, and communication ability also help.
Where are Pacific Life internships located?
Confirmed locations include Newport Beach, California (corporate headquarters), Omaha, Nebraska, Charlotte, North Carolina (new office expansion announced October 2025), and Toronto, Canada. Each location hosts different teams, with actuarial functions concentrated across all four offices.
Pacific Life's summer 2027 actuarial and technology internship postings are expected within weeks. While you prepare your SOA exam progress and application materials, build quantitative project experience with a remote Externship in financial modeling, data analytics, or market research. Explore all Externships.
About the Author
Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.
