Career
Anthropologists and archeologists
Study human cultures, past and present.
$70,770
Median pay
+6.0%
Job growth, 2025–35
800
Openings a year
Master's degree
Typical education
6 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
- Plan and direct research to characterize and compare the economic, demographic, health care, social, political, linguistic, and religious institutions of distinct cultural groups, communities, and organizations.
- Create data records for use in describing and analyzing social patterns and processes, using photography, videography, and audio recordings.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then creation & expression?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Writing, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
6 years of education after high school (master's degree), for a median of $70,770 a year and 800 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- AnthropologySee the degree →
- Ancient Studies/CivilizationCIP 30.2201
- Classical and Ancient Studies, OtherCIP 30.2299
- Human BiologyCIP 30.2701
- GeoarcheaologyCIP 30.4201
- Linguistics and AnthropologyCIP 30.4701
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Historians$76,750 · +3.0%
- Sociologists$106,030 · +3.8%
- Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary$99,650 · +2.6%
- Geographers$102,040 · -2.1%
- Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$85,020 · +2.7%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.