Anthropologists and Archeologists: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Life, Physical, and Social Science · SOC 19-3091 · O*NET 19-3091.00
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.
Anthropologists and Archeologists fall under the Life, Physical, and Social Science category in the U.S. occupational classification. Anthropologists and Archeologists earn a median salary of $70,770 per year, ranking in the top 38% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +6.0% job growth through 2035, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do anthropologists and archeologists earn?
The median annual wage for anthropologists and archeologists is $70,770. That puts anthropologists and archeologists at #310 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $49,050 |
| 25th percentile | $59,400 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $70,770 |
| 75th percentile | $89,670 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $108,060 |
| Median hourly wage | $34.02/hr |
Is anthropologists and archeologists a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for anthropologists and archeologists is +6.0%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 10K positions in 2024 to 10K in 2034, a net change of <1K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do anthropologists and archeologists do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working anthropologists and archeologists, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Enhance the cultural sensitivity of elementary and secondary curricula and classroom interactions in collaboration with educators and teachers.
- 2.Research, survey, or assess sites of past societies and cultures in search of answers to specific research questions.
- 3.Advise government agencies, private organizations, and communities regarding proposed programs, plans, and policies and their potential impacts on cultural institutions, organizations, and communities.
- 4.Lead field training sites and train field staff, students, and volunteers in excavation methods.
- 5.Collaborate with economic development planners to decide on the implementation of proposed development policies, plans, and programs based on culturally institutionalized barriers and facilitating circumstances.
- 6.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.
- 7.Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.
- 8.Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, technology development, policy making, and program planning.
Top skills for anthropologists and archeologists
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become anthropologists and archeologist?
The standard path into anthropologists and archeologists begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents: what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about anthropologists and archeologists
What is the median salary for anthropologists and archeologists?
The median annual salary for anthropologists and archeologists is $70,770 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is anthropologists and archeologists a growing career?
BLS projects +6.0% growth for anthropologists and archeologists from 2025 through 2035, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become anthropologists and archeologist?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to anthropologists and archeologists?
Related occupations within the Life, Physical, and Social Science category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 release.