Archaeologist: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.
The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.
10% of archaeologists earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $49,050
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
25% of archaeologists earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $59,400
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
Half of archaeologists earn more than this and half earn less.
- Annual
- $70,770
- Hourly
- $34.02
- Source
- BLS May 2025
75% of archaeologists earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $89,670
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
90% of archaeologists earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $108,060
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
Archaeologists study the origin, development, and behavior of human beings. The median pay is $70,770 a year ($34.02 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a doctoral degree (40% of workers surveyed by O*NET).
- Median pay
- $70,770
- BLS May 2025
- Employed in the U.S.
- 8,990
- BLS May 2025
- Preparation
- Job Zone 5 of 5
- extensive preparation
- Most common education
- Doctoral Degree
- 40% of workers
Data Government data groups this job as Anthropologists and Archeologists (O*NET-SOC 19-3091.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.
Every page for Archaeologists
What archaeologists do day to day
Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).
- Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.
- Teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology.
- 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.
- Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, technology development, policy making, and program planning.
- Identify culturally specific beliefs and practices affecting health status and access to services for distinct populations and communities, in collaboration with medical and public health officials.
- Lead field training sites and train field staff, students, and volunteers in excavation methods.
- Conduct participatory action research in communities and organizations to assess how work is done and to design work systems, technologies, and environments.
Ranked by importance to the job
Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.
Knowledge areas: Sociology and Anthropology, English Language, History and Archeology, Foreign Language, Education and Training, Geography.
Software archaeologists use
Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.
- ESRI ArcGIS softwareGeographic information systemIn demand
- ESRI ArcGIS Survey 123Analytical or scientific softwareIn demand
- Geographic information system GIS systemsGeographic information systemIn demand
- Adobe IllustratorGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
- Adobe InDesignDesktop publishing softwareHot technology
- Adobe PhotoshopGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
- Autodesk AutoCADComputer aided design CAD softwareHot technology
- FacebookWeb page creation and editing softwareHot technology
- IBM SPSS StatisticsAnalytical or scientific softwareHot technology
- SASAnalytical or scientific softwareHot technology
- The MathWorks MATLABAnalytical or scientific softwareHot technology
- Adobe DreamweaverWeb page creation and editing software
Also called: Anthropologist, American Indian Policy Specialist, Applied Anthropologist, Applied Cultural Anthropologist, Communication and Folklore Specialist, Forensic Anthropologist.
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How this page is built
Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.
- How a specific employer defines the job.
- Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
- Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).