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Archaeological field technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an archaeological field technician. Archaeological field technicians usually study anthropology, classical and ancient studies, or history. 79% of archaeological field technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,001 real archaeological field technician resumes to see exactly what archaeological field technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for archaeological field technicians are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

There are also many online archaeological field technician courses to help get the education required to be an archaeological field technician.

What education do you need to become an archaeological field technician?

What degree do you need to be an archaeological field technician?

The most common degree for archaeological field technicians is bachelor's degree, with 79% of archaeological field technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 10% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 79%
  • Master's, 10%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an archaeological field technician?

You should major in anthropology to become an archaeological field technician. 62% of archaeological field technicians major in anthropology. Other common majors for an archaeological field technician include classical and ancient studies and history.

Most common colleges for archaeological field technicians

Archaeological field technicians often get their degrees at University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Oregon, and Appalachian State University. Here are the most common colleges for archaeological field technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Archaeological field technician common collegePercentages
University of California, Santa Barbara9.65%
University of Oregon7.02%
Appalachian State University6.14%
University of Pittsburgh6.14%
University of Iowa6.14%

Best majors for archaeological field technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Anthropology62.2%
2Classical And Ancient Studies12.7%
3History7.8%
4Liberal Arts2.5%
5Psychology1.6%

Best colleges for archaeological field technicians

The best colleges for archaeological field technicians are Harvard University, Vanderbilt University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

An archaeological field technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for archaeological field technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become archaeological field technicians.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

3. Rice University

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$47,350

Enrollment

3,962

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

In-state tuition

$55,466

Enrollment

6,752

7. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

8. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

20 best online courses for archaeological field technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for archaeological field technicians

The most affordable schools for archaeological field technicians are University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and purdue university.

If the best universities for archaeological field technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for archaeological field technicians.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

8. John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,270

Cost of attendance

14,177

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for archaeological field technicians

The hardest universities for archaeological field technicians to get into are Harvard University, Vanderbilt University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for archaeological field technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for archaeological field technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,488

7. Rice University

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for archaeological field technicians

The easiest schools for archaeological field technicians to get into are Saint Joseph's College of Maine, saint martin's university, and linfield college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an archaeological field technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for archaeological field technicians.

1. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

2. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

3. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

4. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,172

5. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Newark

Newark, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

63%

SAT average

1,105

6. Longwood University

Farmville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,065

7. Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, MA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,073

8. University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,050

9. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average archaeological field technician salary by education level

Archaeological field technicians with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $44,933 annually. With a Associate degree, archaeological field technicians earn a median annual income of $42,546 compared to $41,602 for archaeological field technicians with an Bachelor's degree.
Archaeological field technician education levelArchaeological field technician salary
Master's Degree$44,933
High School Diploma or Less$40,699
Bachelor's Degree$41,602
Some College/ Associate Degree$42,546

Archaeological field technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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