Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 19-3091

Anthropologists and Archeologists

Median pay sits 40% below the mid peer in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations (neighbors include Astronomers, Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, Psychologists, All Other, Biochemists and Biophysicists).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Anthropologists and Archeologists: Astronomers ($129K) , Clinical and Counseling Psychologists ($101K) , Psychologists, All Other ($111K) , Biochemists and Biophysicists ($127K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Anthropologists and Archeologists publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 19-3091 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents
  2. 2. Teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology
  3. 3. Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences
  4. 4. Plan and direct research to characterize and compare the economic, demographic, health care, social, political, linguistic, and religious…
  5. 5. Record the exact locations and conditions of artifacts uncovered in diggings or surveys, using drawings and photographs as necessary
  6. 6. Create data records for use in describing and analyzing social patterns and processes, using photography, videography, and audio recordings
  7. 7. Assess archeological sites for resource management, development, or conservation purposes and recommend methods for site protection
  8. 8. Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, techn…
  9. 9. Gather and analyze artifacts and skeletal remains to increase knowledge of ancient cultures
  10. 10. Identify culturally specific beliefs and practices affecting health status and access to services for distinct populations and communitie…
  11. 11. Apply traditional ecological knowledge and assessments of culturally distinctive land and resource management institutions to assist in t…
  12. 12. Compare findings from one site with archeological data from other sites to find similarities or differences

Anthropologists and Archeologists: O*NET ranks Writing first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 19-3091 - lead skill Writing at 4.3 ; lead knowledge Sociology and Anthropology. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Writing 4.3
  2. 2. Speaking 4.3
  3. 3. Reading Comprehension 4.1
  4. 4. Active Listening 4.1
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 4.1
  6. 6. Active Learning 3.9
  7. 7. Complex Problem Solving 3.8
  8. 8. Monitoring 3.5

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Sociology and Anthropology 4.9
  2. 2. English Language 4.4
  3. 3. History and Archeology 4.2
  4. 4. Foreign Language 4.0
  5. 5. Education and Training 3.9
  6. 6. Geography 3.6
Pay vs Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations peers
-40%
vs mid peer median $117,790
This role $70,770/yr
$71K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
800
Annual openings
8,990
Estimated US jobs
Astronomers
Highest-pay peer · $129K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Master's degree

Top Paying States for Anthropologists and Archeologists

1. Hawaii $84,530
2. Nebraska $94,520
3. Alaska $89,810
4. Massachusetts $121,300
5. Pennsylvania $79,660
6. Idaho $88,710
7. Oregon $84,970
8. Montana $79,420
9. Connecticut $91,420
10. Virginia $80,230

Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles

  1. 1. Psychologists, All Other $110,840
  2. 2. Biochemists and Biophysicists $127,410
  3. 3. Astronomers $128,820
  4. 4. Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other $101,110
  5. 5. Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $100,580
  6. 6. Materials Scientists $117,790

Among Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations peers on this card, Anthropologists and Archeologists sits 40% below the mid peer median ($117,790). Its own median is $70,770.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Master's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Hawaii at $84,530. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Astronomers at $128,820. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Anthropologists and Archeologists pay-rank #35 in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

On the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table (48 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Anthropologists and Archeologists lands at #35, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Anthropologists and Archeologists pays 40% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Anthropologists and Archeologists salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 19-3091

Hawaii · top state for Anthropologists and Archeologists

$85K published median

Nebraska · #2 state pay

$95K · behind Hawaii

Astronomers

Highest-pay peer vs Anthropologists and Archeologists · $129K

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

Lower-pay peer beside Anthropologists and Archeologists · $101K

Compare Anthropologists and Archeologists

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Anthropologists and Archeologists with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Anthropologists and Archeologists

Against another occupation

Astronomers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Anthropologists and Archeologists land on the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table? ▼
Anthropologists and Archeologists is pay-rank #35 of 48 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Forensic Science Technicians ($72K), Survey Researchers ($69K), Animal Scientists ($69K), Conservation Scientists ($73K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do anthropologists and archeologists do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Anthropologists and Archeologists. Leading ones include: 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…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for anthropologists and archeologists? ▼
For SOC 19-3091, O*NET importance scores lead with Writing (4.3), Speaking (4.3), Reading Comprehension (4.1), Active Listening (4.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Sociology and Anthropology, English Language, History and Archeology. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Anthropologists and Archeologists? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $70,770 as the national median for Anthropologists and Archeologists. The published 10th-90th range is $49,050 to $108,060. Beside Astronomers ($128,820), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Anthropologists and Archeologists? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Anthropologists and Archeologists is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 800. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Anthropologists and Archeologists? ▼
BLS assigns Master's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Anthropologists and Archeologists. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Anthropologists and Archeologists? ▼
Hawaii ($84,530), Nebraska ($94,520), Alaska ($89,810) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Anthropologists and Archeologists card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 19-3091. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Anthropologists and Archeologists. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics