BLS metro-level wage data places Anthropologists and Archeologists pay in Lansing-East Lansing, MI at a median of $62,520 per year ($30.06/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $70,770, Lansing-East Lansing pays 12% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 50 anthropologists and archeologistss are employed across the Lansing-East Lansing MSA in SOC 19-3091.

The Lansing-East Lansing pay distribution spans from $60,270 at the 10th percentile to $96,870 at the 90th — a 1.6× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $60,270 and the 75th at $80,500, so half of Lansing-East Lansing-based anthropologists and archeologistss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Lansing-East Lansing, MI covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide MI data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.