Anthropologists and Archeologists Salary: $81,578 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 8,070 anthropologists and archeologists nationally earn a mean of $81,578. Employment in the series shown fell about 17% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 5.6% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Anthropologists and Archeologists: what the data shows
Common questions about anthropologists and archeologists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a anthropologists and archeologists?
Anthropologists and Archeologists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 19-3091.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 8,070 workers.
What does a anthropologists and archeologists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Analyzing Data or Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, Processing Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a anthropologists and archeologists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $64,910 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $81,578 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $53,773 |
| 25th percentile | $63,007 |
| Median (50th) | $76,114 |
| 75th percentile | $93,370 |
| 90th percentile | $120,570 |
What education do you need?
For Anthropologists and Archeologists, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Reading Comprehension, Writing, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Sociology and Anthropology, History and Archeology, English Language, Geography. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is anthropologists and archeologists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 5.6% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 31.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 72.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 8,070.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do anthropologists and archeologistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 8,070 | 17.6% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 5,440 | 11.9% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5,160 | 11.3% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5,160 | 11.3% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 2,630 | 5.8% |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 2,570 | 5.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Anthropologists and Archeologists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Anthropologists and Archeologists workforce.
Employment Over Time
8,070 Workforce in 2023
The Anthropologists and Archeologists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$81,578 Average Wage
In 2023, Anthropologists and Archeologists earned an average of $81,578.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Salary distribution for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Employment Growth Projections
5.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
5,063 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 31.2%
6,641 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 72.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 5.6% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Anthropologists and Archeologists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Anthropologists and Archeologists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Wage Trends by Industry
3.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 1,060 employees, $79,420 avg wage
- AZ: 620 employees, $68,360 avg wage
- FL: 390 employees, $65,630 avg wage
- NY: 310 employees, $65,070 avg wage
- OR: 300 employees, $80,790 avg wage
- TX: 290 employees, $73,380 avg wage
- CO: 260 employees, $73,890 avg wage
- VA: 260 employees, $70,110 avg wage
- NM: 260 employees, $66,760 avg wage
- WA: 250 employees, $78,560 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 350 employees, $65,240 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 310 employees, $70,540 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 280 employees, $84,450 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 240 employees, $73,110 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA: 170 employees, $88,920 avg wage
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 150 employees, $83,830 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 130 employees, $70,960 avg wage
- Boise City, ID: 130 employees, $75,200 avg wage
- Albuquerque, NM: 130 employees, $61,650 avg wage
- Urban Honolulu, HI: 120 employees, $97,830 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Anthropologists and Archeologists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Anthropologists and Archeologists in 2023 was 8,070 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Anthropologists and Archeologists in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.
Common majors for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Anthropologists and Archeologists workers.
Education level distribution for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Skills
Anthropologists and Archeologists need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Writing, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Active Listening.
Required skills for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Anthropologists and Archeologists include Sociology and Anthropology, History and Archeology, English Language, Geography, Education and Training.
Knowledge areas required for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Anthropologists and Archeologists include Written Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension.
Required abilities for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Anthropologists and Archeologists.
Daily Activities
Anthropologists and Archeologists spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Analyzing Data or Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others.
Most important work activities for Anthropologists and Archeologists.
About
Anthropologists and Archeologists
The average yearly wage for Anthropologists and Archeologists was $81,578 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-3091 - Anthropologists and Archeologists
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Anthropologists and Archeologists reports an average salary of $81,578.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 8,070 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 5.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.