Anthropologists and Archeologists
What Anthropologists and Archeologists 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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 3.6%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 5 of 5Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Job training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Sociology and Anthropologyimportance 4.9/5
- English Languageimportance 4.4/5
- History and Archeologyimportance 4.2/5
- Foreign Languageimportance 4.0/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.9/5
- Geographyimportance 3.6/5
- Communications and Mediaimportance 3.4/5
- Philosophy and Theologyimportance 3.1/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail4.7/5
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.5/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.5/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.3/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.0/5
- Contact With Others4.0/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Instructional Coordinators98% skill match
- Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary97% skill match
- Neurologists97% skill match
- Human Resources Specialists97% skill match
- Education Administrators, Postsecondary97% skill match
- Music Directors and Composers96% skill match
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education96% skill match
- Accountants and Auditors96% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.8/5
- Instructingimportance 3.3/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
- Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
- ESRI ArcGIS Survey 123
- Geographic information system GIS systems
Other Software Used
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Adobe PageMaker
- Age progression software
- Apple Final Cut Express
- Apple iMovie
- Applied Biosystems GeneMapper
- Archeological Sites Management Information System ASMIS
- Automated National Catalog System ANCS
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Innovation
- Attention to Detail
- Adaptability
- Achievement Orientation
- Tolerance for Ambiguity
- Dependability
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- InvestigativeHigh
- ArtisticMedium
- RealisticMedium
- SocialMedium
- ConventionalMedium
- EnterprisingLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where anthropologists and archeologists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Flagstaff, AZ20.91× national avg
- 2Lexington Park, MD11.21× national avg
- 3Urban Honolulu, HI6.50× national avg
- 4Anchorage, AK6.26× national avg
- 5Reno, NV5.31× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- HistoriansLateral Move
- Instructional CoordinatorsCareer Change
- Education Administrators, PostsecondaryCareer Change
- Communications Teachers, PostsecondaryCareer Change
See the full career path from Anthropologists and Archeologists →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Forensic Anthropology
- University of California-Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)grads earn ~$54,905
- University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)grads earn ~$47,348
- University of California-Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA)grads earn ~$52,315
- University of California-Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA)grads earn ~$56,238
- Arizona State University Digital Immersion (Scottsdale, AZ)grads earn ~$49,597
Human Biology
- CUNY Hunter College (New York, NY)grads earn ~$83,420
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)grads earn ~$69,751
- University of California-Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)grads earn ~$66,496
- University at Albany (Albany, NY)
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus (Seattle, WA)grads earn ~$60,949