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Anthropologists and Archeologists

Typical education: Master's degreeModerate pressure

What they do

Study the origin, development, and behavior of human beings. May study the way of life, language, or physical characteristics of people in various parts of the world. May engage in systematic recovery and examination of material evidence, such as tools or pottery remaining from past human cultures, in order to determine the history, customs, and living habits of earlier civilizations.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $70,770 Median per year · $34.02/hr Most earn $49,050–$108,060

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences.
  • Create data records for use in describing and analyzing social patterns and processes, using photography, videography, and audio recordings.
  • Consult site reports, existing artifacts, and topographic maps to identify archeological sites.
  • Formulate general rules that describe and predict the development and behavior of cultures and social institutions.
  • Collect artifacts made of stone, bone, metal, and other materials, placing them in bags and marking them to show where they were found.
  • Gather and analyze artifacts and skeletal remains to increase knowledge of ancient cultures.

Job outlook

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Management, scientific, and technical consulting services27.8%
  • Research and development in the social sciences and humanities22.5%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service18.6%
  • Self-employed (their own business)8.9%
  • Engineering services5.5%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Anthropologists and archeologists usually need a master's degree, and most people also spend a few years in related field or lab work before landing this kind of job. It is not usually an entry-level job straight out of a bachelor's program.

  1. Bachelor's degree in anthropology, archaeology, or a related social science

    4 years

    You build a foundation in human cultures, research methods, and often a regional or field focus, and you can start volunteering or working on digs and research projects.

  2. Research Assistant or Field Technician

    1-2 years

    You help with fieldwork, lab analysis, data entry, or archive work, which gives you hands-on experience and shows graduate programs you can do real research.

  3. Master's degree in anthropology or archaeology

    2-3 years

    You specialize in a area, complete a thesis or research project, and gain advanced field and analysis skills that employers expect for this career.

  4. Anthropologist or Archeologist

    2-4 years of related work after the master's

    You design and carry out research, run or join field projects, analyze material evidence, and publish or share findings.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Archeologist

    5-10 years of experience first

    You lead larger field projects, manage teams and budgets, and take on more responsibility for research direction and grant funding.

  2. Anthropology and Archeology Teacher, Postsecondary

    2-4 years in research or field work of experience first

    You usually need a doctoral degree to teach at colleges and universities, where you also teach courses and do your own research.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take social studies, history, and anthropology or world cultures courses if offeredThese classes introduce you to how people and societies have developed and build the reading and writing skills you will need later.
  • Take a second languageLanguage skills help with studying cultures and communicating with people in different regions.
  • Join a history, debate, or science clubThese clubs build research, argument, and public speaking skills that are useful in this career.
  • Volunteer at a local museum, library, or historical societyYou will see how artifacts are cared for and documented, and you may meet people who work in heritage and research.
  • Take a summer job or volunteer role in a lab or archive if one is availableHands-on work with records or materials shows you whether careful, detail-focused research suits you.

In college

  • Major in anthropology or archaeology, or pair it with history, sociology, or a languageA focused major gives you the theory, methods, and regional knowledge that graduate programs look for.
  • Work as a research assistant with a professorHelping on a real project teaches you field or lab methods and often leads to recommendation letters for graduate school.
  • Join a field school or a supervised dig if your campus or a nearby program offers oneFieldwork is a core part of archaeology and anthropology, and hands-on experience strengthens your graduate applications.
  • Build data and digital skills such as GIS, statistics, or database softwareThese tools are increasingly used to analyze evidence and map sites, and they make you more competitive.
  • Present at a student research symposium or write for a campus journalSharing your work builds the communication skills you will use when writing reports and grant proposals.

Tips for getting started

  • Get field experience early by volunteering on local archaeological surveys, museum projects, or community history or oral-history projects.
  • Build strong writing and data skills, since this work relies on reports, grant proposals, and analyzing evidence.
  • Learn a second language or a research tool like GIS or statistics software, which can help you stand out for graduate programs and jobs.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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