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The differences between archaeologists and scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an archaeologist, becoming a scientist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, which is higher than the $50,314 average annual salary of an archaeologist.
The top three skills for an archaeologist include excavations, GPS and GIS. The most important skills for a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.
| Archaeologist | Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,314 | $97,344 |
| Hourly rate | $24.19 | $46.80 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 4,260 | 62,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
An Archaeologist is focused on studying past human activity. They record, interpret, and preserve archaeological remains for future generations.
A scientist is responsible for researching and analyzing the nature and complexities of the physical world to identify discoveries that would improve people's lives and ignite scientific knowledge for society. Scientists' duties differ in their different areas of expertise, but all of them must have a broad comprehension of scientific disciplines and methods to support their experiments and investigations. They collect the sample for their research, record findings, create research proposals, and release publications. A scientist must know how to utilize laboratory equipment to support the study and drive results efficiently and accurately.
Archaeologists and scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Archaeologist | Scientist | |
| Average salary | $50,314 | $97,344 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $75,000 | Between $67,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chelmsford, MA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Arcadis | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an archaeologist and a scientist in terms of educational background:
| Archaeologist | Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Anthropology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between archaeologists' and scientists' demographics:
| Archaeologist | Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 6.7% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |