Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$78,000
National baseline
Target bonus
$9,000
11.3% of base
Total target cash
$87,000
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$5,50050th$9,00075th$14,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
Typical entry preparation: Doctoral Degree and 5 or more years of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
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.
Top skills:WritingSpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningActive Learning
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Anthropologists and Archeologists pay by experience level
Entry level$51,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$61,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$73,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$93,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$112,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+3.7%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
800
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Anthropologists and Archeologists salary by industry
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
5,980 workers
$74,000
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
2,840 workers
$72,000
Scientific Research and Development Services
2,290 workers
$73,000
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
2,290 workers
$93,500
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
1,770 workers
$97,500
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
630 workers
$77,500
Educational Services
430 workers
$65,000
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
380 workers
$65,000
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
350 workers
$76,500
Educational Services, State Government Owned
340 workers
$63,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $66,130 to $70,770.
+7.0% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$51,000
Early career25th percentile
$61,500
Median50th percentile
$73,000
Experienced75th percentile
$93,000
Top earners90th percentile
$112,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Exempt · Professional, Administrative, or Executive exemption
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Exempt when paid above the salary threshold, provided they satisfy the duties test for one of the FLSA exemption categories. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$78,000
2027$80,500
2028$83,500
2029$86,500
2030$89,500
2031$92,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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How much does a Anthropologists and Archeologists make?
The median market pay for a Anthropologists and Archeologists in the United States is about $78,000 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Anthropologists and Archeologists?
Most Anthropologists and Archeologists pay falls between about $61,500 (25th percentile) and $93,000 (75th percentile), with top earners above $112,000.
What does a Anthropologists and Archeologists do?
Core responsibilities include: collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents; and teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology.
Is pay for Anthropologists and Archeologists roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $66,130 in 2020 to $70,770 in 2025, a change of +7% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Anthropologists and Archeologists pays 22% below the average across 66 roles in the Life, Physical, and Social Science job family (family average $100,500).
Similar-paying roles in Life, Physical, and Social Science
Need Anthropologists and Archeologists pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
