Archaeological field technician vs archaeological technician

The differences between archaeological field technicians and archaeological technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an archaeological field technician and an archaeological technician. Additionally, an archaeological field technician has an average salary of $41,352, which is higher than the $35,787 average annual salary of an archaeological technician.

The top three skills for an archaeological field technician include GPS, data collection and data recovery. The most important skills for an archaeological technician are GPS, GIS, and excavations.

Archaeological field technician vs archaeological technician overview

	Archaeological Field Technician	Archaeological Technician
Yearly salary	$41,352	$35,787
Hourly rate	$19.88	$17.21
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	60,923	7,638
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

What does an archaeological field technician do?

The key role of an Archaeological Field Technician is to conduct archaeological surveys, testing, and data recovery. They prepare accurate and concise laboratory documentation/mapping.

What does an archaeological technician do?

The archaeological technician is someone who operates all the necessary equipment in an archeological dig. The archeological technician will provide all of the equipment and tools needed for excavation and maintain it to reduce its wear and tear. Tools commonly carried by an archeological technician are digging tools, metal detectors, GPS equipment, and other miscellaneous articles needed for excavation. The archeological technician must have a solid background in archeology or a degree of the same nature in the humanities and social sciences.

Archaeological field technician vs archaeological technician salary

Archaeological field technicians and archaeological technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Archaeological Field Technician	Archaeological Technician
Average salary	$41,352	$35,787
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $50,000	Between $28,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	Vermont	Massachusetts
Best paying company	ERM	TRC Companies
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between archaeological field technician and archaeological technician education

There are a few differences between an archaeological field technician and an archaeological technician in terms of educational background:

	Archaeological Field Technician	Archaeological Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Anthropology	Anthropology
Most common college	Harvard University	Harvard University

Archaeological field technician vs archaeological technician demographics

Here are the differences between archaeological field technicians' and archaeological technicians' demographics:

	Archaeological Field Technician	Archaeological Technician
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6%	Male, 51.7% Female, 48.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 8.1% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 9.5% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between archaeological field technician and archaeological technician duties and responsibilities

Archaeological field technician example responsibilities.

Utilize ARCGIS to keep track of areas cover by survey and manage the project.
Manage network reliability, capacity and performance in conjunction with RF engineering establish guidelines.
Help establish and implement GPS and GIS technologies, replacing outdate survey and mapping methodologies.
Input data and create maps using ArcView 3.2 and ArcGIS 9.0.
Conduct literature reviews including creating GIS maps.
Document sites using hand drawings, GPS unit and digital camera.

Archaeological technician example responsibilities.

Manage daily RCRA inspections and mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment preventive/corrective maintenance procedures.
Enter field data into standard archaeological forms and create archaeological site maps using a GPS unit and ArcGIS software.
Utilize GIS analysis to assist with locating and mitigating archaeological sites.
Clear atv trails and place cattle guards for atv use.
Work with compass, GPS, aerial photos, and topographical maps to survey a corridor for the client.
Perform trouble-shooting of excavations as required.

Archaeological field technician vs archaeological technician skills

Common archaeological field technician skills

GPS, 24%
Data Collection, 11%
Data Recovery, 9%
GIS, 7%
Excavations, 7%
Sketch, 6%

Common archaeological technician skills

GPS, 25%
GIS, 9%
Excavations, 7%
Resource Management, 6%
Data Collection, 6%
Data Entry, 5%

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Archaeological Field Technician
Archaeological Field Technician vs Archaeological Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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