Archaeological field technician vs environmental field technician

The differences between archaeological field technicians and environmental field 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 environmental field technician. Additionally, an archaeological field technician has an average salary of $41,352, which is higher than the $38,450 average annual salary of an environmental field technician.

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

Archaeological field technician vs environmental field technician overview

	Archaeological Field Technician	Environmental Field Technician
Yearly salary	$41,352	$38,450
Hourly rate	$19.88	$18.49
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	60,923	76,665
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
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 environmental field technician do?

An environmental field technician, often known as an environmental science and protection technician, is an individual who conducts tests on the environment and determines the impact of a potential source of pollutants. Environmental field technicians investigate pollution sources by performing testing of groundwater samples in the field. They must ensure that proper safety procedures and equipment are utilized as well as implement on-site safety procedures to individual company specifications. Environmental field technicians must also coordinate with construction management to ensure that they are following the comprehensive environmental compliance throughout the phases of construction.

Archaeological field technician vs environmental field technician salary

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

	Archaeological Field Technician	Environmental Field Technician
Average salary	$41,352	$38,450
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $50,000	Between $30,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	-
Highest paying state	Vermont	-
Best paying company	ERM	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between archaeological field technician and environmental field technician education

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

	Archaeological Field Technician	Environmental Field Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Anthropology	Environmental Science
Most common college	Harvard University	Duke University

Archaeological field technician vs environmental field technician demographics

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

	Archaeological Field Technician	Environmental Field Technician
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6%	Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5%
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, 9.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 10.5% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between archaeological field technician and environmental field 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.

Environmental field technician example responsibilities.

Provide contractor oversight, including monitoring of technical performance of sub-contractors managing remedial cleanup projects involving hazardous waste.
Complete field forms, draw sketch maps, profiles and plan view field drawings.
Identify and correct safety shortfalls in confine space entry, explosive atmosphere, and fall protection to ensure OSHA compliance.
Create sketch maps of artifact distribution, and site features.
Read topographic maps in addition to using hand hold and tablet base GPS units.
Insulate and push copper thru a chase along with ac wire and drain line.

Archaeological field technician vs environmental field technician skills

Common archaeological field technician skills

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

Common environmental field technician skills

OSHA, 11%
Data Collection, 9%
HAZWOPER, 9%
Safety Procedures, 7%
Hand Tools, 6%
GPS, 5%

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Archaeological Field Technician
Archaeological Field Technician vs Environmental Field Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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