How to hire an archaeological field technician

How to hire an archaeological field technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step archaeological field technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an archaeological field technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new archaeological field technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an archaeological field technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the archaeological field technician you need to hire. Certain archaeological field technician roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect archaeological field technician also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of archaeological field technicians.

   Type of Archaeological Field Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Archaeological Field Technician	Environmental science and protection technicians monitor the environment and investigate sources of pollution and contamination, including those affecting public health. In addition, they work to ensure that environmental violations are prevented.	$15-24
   Laboratory Analyst	A Laboratory Analyst helps conduct experiments, run laboratory tests, and analyze results. They compile and record data for the documentation needed for testing and report preparation.	$14-29
   Environmental Services Supervisor	Environmental services supervisors direct and administer a healthcare facility's housekeeping program to maintain sanitation and occupational health. They help departments in charge of the cleanup, sanitation, pest control, housekeeping, and laundry... Show more	$14-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GPS
   • Data Collection
   • Data Recovery
   • GIS
   • Excavations
   • Sketch
   • Shovels
   • Laboratory Analysis
   • ArcGIS
   • Cultural Resource Management
   • Archaeological Sites
   • Plan View
   • Historic Artifacts
   • Site Forms

   Check all skills

   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.

   More archaeological field technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the archaeological field technician job description is a good way to get more applicants. An archaeological field technician salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an archaeological field technician in Indiana may be lower than in Vermont, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level archaeological field technician. Additionally, an archaeological field technician with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average archaeological field technician salary

   $41,352yearly

   $19.88 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level archaeological field technician salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average archaeological field technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$53,735	$26
   2	Minnesota	$48,621	$23
   3	Oregon	$48,046	$23
   4	North Dakota	$47,743	$23
   5	California	$47,108	$23
   6	New Jersey	$46,660	$22
   7	Nevada	$46,476	$22
   8	Texas	$46,412	$22
   9	Washington	$46,243	$22
   10	Wyoming	$45,388	$22
   11	Wisconsin	$44,891	$22
   12	New York	$42,459	$20
   13	Montana	$42,023	$20
   14	Illinois	$41,838	$20
   15	Pennsylvania	$40,039	$19
   16	Louisiana	$39,521	$19
   17	South Carolina	$38,455	$18
   18	Arizona	$38,414	$18
   19	New Mexico	$38,267	$18
   20	Georgia	$35,373	$17

   Average archaeological field technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	ERM	$43,476	$20.90	13
   2	Michael Baker	$42,645	$20.50	1
   3	RGA Environmental, A Terracon Company	$42,617	$20.49	36
   4	Rincon Consultants	$42,435	$20.40	11
   5	Environmental Consulting & Technology	$42,108	$20.24	4
   6	Environmental Science Associates	$42,049	$20.22	2
   7	Amec Foster Wheeler	$42,049	$20.22
   8	Stantec	$41,547	$19.97	209
   9	S&ME	$41,538	$19.97	11
   10	TRC Companies	$41,110	$19.76	27
   11	WestLand Resources	$41,016	$19.72	7
   12	Dewberry	$40,615	$19.53	2
   13	Woods Services	$40,294	$19.37
   14	Tetra Tech	$39,422	$18.95	26
   15	NOVAworks	$36,088	$17.35

4. Writing an archaeological field technician job description

   A job description for an archaeological field technician role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an archaeological field technician job description:

   Archaeological field technician job description example

   • Bachelor's degree in archaeology, anthropology, or a closely related field
   • At least one (1) year of professional experience identifying, documenting, and evaluating cultural resources of significance (A Master's degree may be used in lieu of one year of field experience)
   • Must be able to work independently and make on-the-ground decisions during monitoring and other fieldwork
   • Experience with Trimble and/or Garmin GPS data collection
   • Must be able to hike 10-12 miles per day in often difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions while carrying 25 lbs.
   • Availability to work extended field rotations (10-12 days at a time)
   • Ability to travel without restrictions and have reliable means of transportation
   • Strong organizational skills

   Desired

   • Familiarity with California prehistoric and historical cultural resources and the culture history of California
   • Experience working with utilities (Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric, Gas Company, etc.)
   • Field experience in California
   • Experience with CEQA and the NHPA

   Rincon Consultants, Inc. is an award-winning leader in providing quality environmental consulting services throughout California. Recognized as the #1 ‘Best Environmental Services Firm to Work For’ by the Zweig Group in 2021. We partner with clients in sectors such as transportation, energy and infrastructure, oil and gas, water, commercial, private development, and government. Our 400+ associates in 12 offices located in Northern, Central and Southern California are dedicated professionals who combine their passion with our purpose. If hired, we require proof that you have received the COVID-19 vaccine or have a valid religious or medical reason not to be vaccinated.

   #DNP

   Rincon Consultants, Inc does not accept unsolicited applicant/candidate resumes from search firm recruiters and/or temporary agencies that do not have a signed contract and specified work order with Rincon Consultants. Further, such resumes received will be deemed the sole property of Rincon Consultants and no fees will be paid in the event Rincon Consultants subsequently hires such individual. Rincon Consultants is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

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5. Post your job

   To find archaeological field technicians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any archaeological field technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level archaeological field technicians with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your archaeological field technician job on Zippia to find and recruit archaeological field technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting archaeological field technicians requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new archaeological field technician

   Once you've decided on a perfect archaeological field technician candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new archaeological field technician. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an archaeological field technician?