Archeologist
Quick Facts
Median Salary$64,567
Most Common EducationBachelor's degree
Projected 10-Year Growth+34.78%
Assessment MatchTake the Assessment
What They Do
An Archeologist finds and analyzes artifacts, such as tools, the remains of buildings or ships, or human skeletons, to learn about past human cultures and civilizations. Supervises careful excavation of artifacts at field sites, records and analyzes evidence. May manage or protect archeological sites, or assess building sites prior to the start of construction
Core Tasks:
- 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.
- Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, technology development, policy making, and program planning.
- Identify culturally specific beliefs and practices affecting health status and access to services for distinct populations and communities, in collaboration with medical and public health officials.
- Apply traditional ecological knowledge and assessments of culturally distinctive land and resource management institutions to assist in the resolution of conflicts over habitat protection and resource enhancement.
- Lead field training sites and train field staff, students, and volunteers in excavation methods.
- Conduct participatory action research in communities and organizations to assess how work is done and to design work systems, technologies, and environments.
- Develop and test theories concerning the origin and development of past cultures.
- Research, survey, or assess sites of past societies and cultures in search of answers to specific research questions.
- Advise government agencies, private organizations, and communities regarding proposed programs, plans, and policies and their potential impacts on cultural institutions, organizations, and communities.
- Organize public exhibits and displays to promote public awareness of diverse and distinctive cultural traditions.
- Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.
- Develop intervention procedures, using techniques such as individual and focus group interviews, consultations, and participant observation of social interaction.
- 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.
- Enhance the cultural sensitivity of elementary and secondary curricula and classroom interactions in collaboration with educators and teachers.
- Study archival collections of primary historical sources to help explain the origins and development of cultural patterns.
- Formulate general rules that describe and predict the development and behavior of cultures and social institutions.
What to expect as an Archeologist
1Earn a Bachelor's degree
57% of people achieve this level of education.
2Gain skills and experience
See Archeologist related courses on Tallo
3Land a job
540 openings for Archeologists
Career Progression
in United States (Nation)
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