What is an Archaeological Technician?

An archaeological technician assists archaeologists in various field activities to find and identify artifacts and historical remains. Also known as field archaeologists, they use surveying tools such as global positioning systems or GPS and other reference materials to locate possible excavation sites.

Aiming to further the knowledge in human history and civilization, an archaeological technician spends most of their workhours outdoors such as mountains and rough terrains. They conduct interviews, recover data, and collect aerial photographs in search of shreds of evidence about archeological remains. After marking the sites on the map, they report these locations to the project director for approval.

They accomplish field forms and take part in site mitigation. They ensure that samples are properly handled and labeled.

An aspiring archaeological technician needs a bachelor's degree in anthropology, archaeology, or other related fields. Completing training programs and having prior field experience provide candidates better chances for this position. The job also requires physical stamina and a deep understanding of diverse cultures. Knowledge in cultural resource management is also a great advantage.

What Does an Archaeological Technician Do

There are certain skills that many archaeological technicians have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed interpersonal skills, analytical skills and communication skills.

Learn more about what an Archaeological Technician does

How To Become an Archaeological Technician

If you're interested in becoming an archaeological technician, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 78.1% of archaeological technicians have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 11.1% of archaeological technicians have master's degrees. Even though most archaeological technicians have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become an Archaeological Technician
Top Archaeological Technician Jobs Near You

Archaeological Technician Career Paths

As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, an archaeological technician can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as archaeologist, progress to a title such as field technician and then eventually end up with the title senior geologist.

Archaeological Technician

Average Salary for an Archaeological Technician

Archaeological Technicians in America make an average salary of $35,787 per year or $17 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $44,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $28,000 per year.
Average Archaeological Technician Salary
$35,787 Yearly
$17.21 hourly
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Roles and Types of Archaeological Technician

There are several types of archaeological technician, including:

Technician

Role:

To be a technician, you have to know your stuff. Some may refer to you as an expert in your field or maybe people will know you as skilled in an art or craft. Then again, you may just be needed to look after technical equipment.

Your workload as a technician will vary, depending on what you're trained in. You may be needed to set up a new computer system or maybe you'll need to fix an electricity problem. Either way, you'll probably only need to work 40 hours a week.

The degree of education required for this job depends on what you're specific skillset is. Some technicians only need a high school diploma, others may want to complete an associate's program or earn a certificate to help their employment opportunities. There's definitely something for everyone in the field of technicians.

  • Average Salary: $38,045
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Environmental Technician

Role:

Environmental technicians work closely together with environmental engineers to combat pollution and minimize the harmful effects of industrial activities. They do research to identify, evaluate, and control contaminated environments by conducting field tests, collecting samples, or managing hazardous waste.

As an environmental technician, you will be responsible for maintaining equipment and ensuring operations comply with safety and health regulations. You might work in the field or in a lab analyzing contaminated material. You might also be expected to create reports on your findings.

You can specialize in a certain area like the prevention of pollution in the water or air, soil, etc. You will need a degree in chemistry, biology, or any other area related to applied sciences. You need to be precise, attentive, and easy to communicate with, as you will most likely work in a team with other researchers.

  • Average Salary: $39,690
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Laboratory Analyst

Role:

A laboratory analyst, also known as a lab technologist, conducts experiments, runs lab tests, and analyzes the results. He/she uses specialized equipment to perform these tests, analyses, and experiments and then record observations and report results. Laboratory analysts are also responsible for maintaining and calibrating lab equipment, maintaining high safety standards in the lab, and adhering to policies in place.

A successful laboratory analyst must have profound knowledge and experience in the field as well as analytical skills, attention to detail, organizational skills, and communication skills. A laboratory analyst can find work in hospitals, pharmaceutical facilities, manufacturing companies, or government agencies.

Laboratory analysts work 40 hours a week and often in shifts. On rare occasions, they may be required to work over the weekends when urgent reports are needed.

  • Average Salary: $44,024
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
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States With The Most Archaeological Technician Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active archaeological technician jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where archaeological technicians earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Archaeological Technician Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1Texas1,024$41,204
2California1,016$40,798
3Florida1,000$29,746
4New York876$42,610
5Illinois740$36,089
6North Carolina646$34,767
7Georgia627$31,446
8Pennsylvania553$37,192
9Massachusetts545$47,081
10New Jersey511$40,408
11Virginia487$40,150
12Ohio472$34,075
13Michigan417$36,635
14Missouri407$35,715
15Minnesota405$37,854
16Indiana372$31,415
17Colorado366$39,374
18Tennessee355$29,752
19Maryland344$36,848
20Wisconsin335$37,245
21South Carolina295$34,046
22Arizona295$34,411
23Washington271$39,728
24Connecticut240$35,286
25Iowa226$35,391
26Alabama223$34,578
27Kentucky212$32,446
28Oklahoma195$31,481
29Utah184$37,719
30Oregon177$42,461
31Maine156$40,628
32Kansas147$33,083
33Louisiana145$35,259
34Arkansas135$36,561
35Nevada124$40,241
36Mississippi121$36,176
37Nebraska121$31,343
38Alaska102$44,620
39West Virginia98$33,434
40New Hampshire94$43,795
41New Mexico84$34,000
42Delaware75$39,856
43Rhode Island65$43,479
44Vermont60$46,854
45Idaho57$36,140
46Montana56$35,593
47North Dakota50$40,334
48Hawaii46$39,180
49South Dakota44$34,708
50Wyoming25$40,253

Archaeological Technician Education

Archaeological Technician Majors

Anthropology
57.2 %
Classical And Ancient Studies
12.3 %
History
8.7 %

Archaeological Technician Degrees

Bachelors

78.1 %

Masters

11.1 %

Associate

6.9 %

Top Colleges for Archaeological 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

Top Skills For an Archaeological Technician

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 25.2% of archaeological technicians listed gps on their resume, but soft skills such as interpersonal skills and analytical skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Archaeological Technician Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Archaeological Technician templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Archaeological Technician resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Archaeological Technician diversity

Archaeological Technician Gender Distribution

Male
Male
52%
Female
Female
48%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among archaeological technicians, 48.3% of them are women, while 51.7% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among archaeological technicians is White, which makes up 57.7% of all archaeological technicians.

  • The most common foreign language among archaeological technicians is Spanish at 46.5%.

Online Courses For Archaeological Technician That You May Like

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Best States For an Archaeological Technician

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an archaeological technician. The best states for people in this position are Massachusetts, Vermont, Alaska, and New Hampshire. Archaeological technicians make the most in Massachusetts with an average salary of $47,081. Whereas in Vermont and Alaska, they would average $46,854 and $44,620, respectively. While archaeological technicians would only make an average of $43,795 in New Hampshire, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Vermont

Total Archaeological Technician Jobs: 60
Highest 10% Earn:
$70,000
Location Quotient:
1.43

$46,854

Avg. Salary

View 60 Archaeological Technician Jobs In VT

2. Alaska

Total Archaeological Technician Jobs: 102
Highest 10% Earn:
$55,000
Location Quotient:
2.23

$44,620

Avg. Salary

View 102 Archaeological Technician Jobs In AK

3. Massachusetts

Total Archaeological Technician Jobs: 545
Highest 10% Earn:
$71,000
Location Quotient:
1.08

$47,081

Avg. Salary

View 545 Archaeological Technician Jobs In MA
Full List Of Best States For Archaeological Technicians

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Top Archaeological Technician Employers

Most Common Employers For Archaeological Technician

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1National Park Foundation$38,767$18.6420
2TRC Companies$37,755$18.154
3Bureau of Land Management$37,339$17.9513
4University of Illinois Springfield$37,276$17.923
5USDA$36,880$17.7320
6Great Basin Institute$36,686$17.643
7Cultural Resource Analysts$36,609$17.605
8Summit Envirosolutions$36,569$17.583
9R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates$36,552$17.573
10SWCA Environmental Consultants$36,523$17.5619
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Updated April 6, 2023