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Job outlook for principal archaeologists in the United States
Are principal archaeologist jobs in demand?
Principal archaeologist job and salary trends over time
Principal archaeologist jobs over time
Principal archaeologist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 64 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 69 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 65 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 58 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 59 | 0.00% |
Average principal archaeologist salary over time
Principal archaeologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $55,230 | $26.55 | +3.9% |
| 2024 | $53,176 | $25.57 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $52,123 | $25.06 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | $52,015 | $25.01 | --1.4% |
| 2021 | $52,775 | $25.37 | +3.2% |
Principal archaeologist jobs by state
Most common states for principal archaeologists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 196 | 28% |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 177 | 17% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 97 | 16% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 962 | 14% |
| 5 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 865 | 12% |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 151 | 11% |
| 7 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 861 | 10% |
| 8 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 678 | 8% |
| 9 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 458 | 8% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 455 | 8% |
| 11 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 342 | 8% |
| 12 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 86 | 8% |
| 13 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 526 | 7% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 414 | 7% |
| 15 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 771 | 6% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 769 | 6% |
| 17 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 109 | 6% |
| 18 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 107 | 6% |
| 19 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 32 | 6% |
| 20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 191 | 5% |
Most common cities for principal archaeologists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monrovia | 1 | 3% | $59,057 |
| 2 | Pasadena | 1 | 1% | $59,149 |
| 3 | Santa Barbara | 1 | 1% | $60,159 |
| 4 | Thousand Oaks | 1 | 1% | $59,579 |
| 5 | Irvine | 1 | 0% | $58,832 |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $59,291 |
| 7 | San Bernardino | 1 | 0% | $58,613 |
| 8 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $58,065 |
Principal Archaeologist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of principal archaeologist experts
University of California, Berkeley
Johns Hopkins University
Dickinson College
Oberlin College
Southern Connecticut State University
Mercyhurst University
University of Missouri - Columbia
Statistical Research
What general advice would you give to a Principal Archaeologist?
Prof. William White III: The best way to maximize your potential in archaeology is to have deep knowledge of some aspect of archaeology that is applicable in a lot of different regions while also having a sensible amount of knowledge in a lot of other areas.
What Principal Archaeologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Prof. William White III: 1) knowledge of historic preservation laws, 2) technical writing skills, 3) Analytical skills, 4) Research skills.
What will help Principal Archaeologists increase their earning potential?
Prof. William White III: I recommend a recent graduate begin looking for work in the cultural resource management industry, which is where most archaeologists work in the United States.
What general advice would you give to a Principal Archaeologist?
Michael Harrower PhD: Here are some answers attached, see also
What Principal Archaeologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Michael Harrower PhD: This is perfect! Thank you so much. We will be sure to feature your response in the article and send a draft over for your review before we promote it.
What will help Principal Archaeologists increase their earning potential?
Michael Harrower PhD: Alex I might be able to spare a bit of time, what questions would you like me to answer? Best Mike
What general advice would you give to a Principal Archaeologist?
J. Andrew Dufton: Any hands-on, practical experience students can get during their degrees will be a big help. That could be a formal field school, an internship at a local historical society, opportunities on campus, or much more. Being able to demonstrate those skills when applying for jobs helps to move past the starting salary level. Specialists also often get paid more than starting fieldworkers. Developing a specialism early—like digital skills, finds analysis, mapping and spatial data, or even project management—can help you start at a higher salary scale or move up to better paid positions more quickly.
What Principal Archaeologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
J. Andrew Dufton: There is always a need for digital literacy, and this is only going to increase over the next 3-5 years. Demonstrable skills in spatial analysis and mapping (e.g. GIS), digital data capture on site (e.g. photogrammetry, drones), and digital data management (e.g. archiving, digitization, databases) are always a good way to get that first position or move up the ladder more quickly once you enter an organization. Colleagues and alumni of the Dickinson program where I teach have also flagged up an increasing need for project management skills for fieldwork-based positions (e.g. budgeting; workforce scheduling; client management; keeping projects to time/budget).
What will help Principal Archaeologists increase their earning potential?
J. Andrew Dufton: Flexibility is key and be sure to cast a wide net. Graduates in the field of archaeology can take a lot of career paths: cultural resource management (e.g. fieldwork, specialist/lab work, desk-based research); archives (e.g. historical societies, records offices); museum positions (e.g. conservation, recordkeeping and digitization, exhibitions, education); government work (e.g. National Parks). Graduates should think about what aspects of archaeology they most enjoy and target their search in those areas. There are also a lot of jobs that will require moving, sometimes for shorter contracts. A willingness to look outside of your region can be a big help in finding a good opportunity. Living in different places is a big part of the archaeological career adventure.
What general advice would you give to a Principal Archaeologist?
Prof. Amy Margaris: Be open to traveling and stay flexible. Most importantly, make and keep connections with others in the field because this will help you learn about job and internship opportunities that will help you build your resume.
What Principal Archaeologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Prof. Amy Margaris: It’s very, very useful for college graduates interested in a career in archaeology to have some field experience under their belts. There are innumerable fieldwork opportunities throughout the world but they’re often expensive, partly because they tend to include tuition fees from the sponsoring institution. There are many reputable sources to look for good field schools, including the Institute for Field Research (IFR) and the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) AND scholarship opportunities that are advertised on these same web sites. If a field school just isn’t in the cards, try volunteer work: at a local dig site, or even at a local museum, since museums are generally where artifacts are housed once they’re uncovered from a dig site. Museums are often thrilled to have talented young people to help behind the scenes, and even a little experience can be a big leg up when applying for jobs and graduate programs. Ultimately an M.A. in archaeology or a related field is very useful for attaining a higher salary in a museum field or cultural resource management (CRM) field, which is where the majority of archaeologists land. A PhD is essential for most college professor positions, but to be honest, those are scarce and highly competitive. I don’t say that discourage PhD seekers – only to emphasize that there are many types of archaeologists and not all of us work in academia.
What will help Principal Archaeologists increase their earning potential?
Prof. Amy Margaris: Social and inter-cultural skills will only be more and more important in the years to come. Nowadays archaeologists do much more collaborating with the communities who are directly connected to the archaeological sites they are researching. Local residents, for example, or members of Indigenous communities who have ancestral ties to the area. And collaboration means working with these other stakeholders from the ground up, so to speak – deciding together what research question might we address, and how? Cultural sensitivity and openness to many ways of thinking and learning about the past are important for doing research that is strong both scientifically and ethically. The other skill I can recommend is GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software for dynamically mapping spatial data. It’s used in archaeology and lots of other sectors, too. The basics are not hard to learn and it’s a very desirable skill. And being able to manage databases, even just basic Excel spreadsheets, is critical!
What general advice would you give to a Principal Archaeologist?
William Farley PhD: Make sure to find out the real story when it comes to careers that are available to people studying what you are passionate about and what you are majoring in. Don't read those terrible lists of "worst majors for your career" because they generally traffic in pure stereotypes and involve zero research. Besides the obvious answers that tons of employers are looking for the skills you get with a degree in something like Anthropology or Sociology or Philosophy - oftentimes those disciplines have their own industries that can be lucrative on their own. Case in point, I'm an archaeologist. There is a whole archaeology industry called Cultural Resource Management that is in a desperate labor shortage and will be for at least the next decade. Folks with a master's degree can earn $100k or more in that industry, and state and federal government agencies hire lots of archaeologists for jobs with good pay and great benefits. Get to know the faculty who might have contacts in those industries, because there are probably internships, paid work, or grant-funded projects that will make you a desirable candidate for those jobs. Find out what skills that industry needs and think about how you can start developing them before you graduate, or where you can get them in entry-level jobs after graduation.
What Principal Archaeologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
William Farley PhD: Critical thinking, communication, and creativity are key skills in so many industries, and that will only become more important in a future that relies increasingly on computer-generated content. Creative flexibility and a passion for learning and growing will put you in a great position as new technologies continue to transform just about every industry. Critical thinking will be essential as scams and misinformation become increasingly auto-generated. Knowing how to write well will make your work stand out even brighter when compared to the junk others will be churning out with ChatGPT.
What will help Principal Archaeologists increase their earning potential?
William Farley PhD: In general, I think trying to find information about how to advance in a career on the internet has limited benefits. It's a great place to start, but ultimately mentorship is the best way to start and advance in a career. Maybe that's a faculty member, maybe that's your supervisor at your first job out of school, or it might be your colleagues who are just a year or two ahead of you. All of these folks can teach you so much about how to actually advance and to make more money. Do you need a graduate degree? How do you get one? Do you need certain skills? How do you learn those skills? Every industry is ultimately so niche, general advice can quickly become useless. Advice from people who have real experience in that industry is essential.
What skills stand out on Principal Archaeologist resumes?
Mary Ann Owoc: -Knowledge of archaeological field methods and the completion of a 5-6 wk archaeological field training course and related archaeological field experience
-Completion of artifact analysis course containing hands-on experience (e.g., lithics, ceramics, fabric/basketry, or historic artifacts)
-Knowledge of soils and sediments
-Effective/good writing
-Familiarity with database use and management (e.g., Microsoft Excel or Access or other),
-Training/experience in laboratory curation and artifact collections work/management;
-GIS and related software familiarity
-Total Station familiarity
-Section 106 familiarity
-Project Management experience
What soft skills should all Principal Archaeologists possess?
Mary Ann Owoc: -Working well with others,
-Being adaptable to changing situations and locations,
-Being comfortable working outdoors and in variable weather,
-Attention to detail/accuracy,
-Legible, detailed writing
-Ability to perform sometimes tedious tasks without becoming careless
What hard/technical skills are most important for Principal Archaeologists?
Mary Ann Owoc: -Knowledge of and experience with shovel and trowel excavation techniques
-Ability to excavate a shovel test probe
-Ability to shovel scrape soils/sediments
-Spatial and directional acuity
-Ability to accurately use measuring devices
-Field map making
-Map reading
-Soil and sediment recognition and descriptions
-Relevant (to the project) artifact recognition
-Detailed artifact analysis knowledge/ experience
What skills will help Principal Archaeologists earn the most?
Mary Ann Owoc: -Familiarity with Section 106 legislation and processes governing protection/examination of archaeological sites
-Ability to write a knowledgeable and competitive proposal and budget for an archaeological project
-Ability to write well
-Ability to do research
-Ability to supervise a field crew on an archaeological project
-In-depth knowledge of geomorphology, soils, and sediments
-GIS training and experience and related software knowledge
-Operational knowledge of remote sensing equipment and related software
-Detailed artifact analysis knowledge/experience
Emma Buckingham
Visiting Assistant Professor of Classical ArchaeologyUniversity of Missouri - Columbia
Classics, Archaeology, and Religion Department
What skills stand out on Principal Archaeologist resumes?
Emma Buckingham: I'd say it depends on the focus and course of study, but all archaeology students should be equipped with critical thinking skills and an ability to interpret evidence that can oftentimes be conflicting or fragmentary. Some students might choose to approach the evidence from a data-driven approach, and so data analysis, databases, and knowledge of statistical techniques will equip them with an arsenal to interpret the archaeological record and help fill in any gaps that exist. Others might choose to focus more on spatial analysis, using GIS to map sites, log contextual information, create distribution maps, and determine possible locations for further analysis. Some choose a more materials science-driven route, using scientific methodologies and geological knowledge to analyze the physical and chemical components of artifacts, soils, and organic objects such as bones. And finally, for archaeologists with more of a background in typologies -- figuring out how styles and forms of objects and buildings change over time and from place to place -- a necessary skill is an attention to detail and patterns, as well as good visual memory.
Skills in linguistics are important for all archaeologists to be able to interpret ancient written texts and to read literature published in a number of different modern languages, as well as to communicate with locals in communities where fieldwork is being conducted.
How do you envision technology impacting Principal Archaeologists in the next 5 years?
Dr. Donn R. Grenda Ph.D.: Technological change is impacting fieldwork and data processing. Drones are having an increasing impact on mapping archaeological sites, and advances in GIS and databases are increasing our ability to understand/analyze the data we gather. Mobile work platforms are also eliminating most of the paper field forms.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Principal Archaeologists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Donn R. Grenda Ph.D.: Тhe location and number of jobs in archaeology directly relate to the location of large development projects. The western United States has a large number of jobs related to renewable energy, transportation, military lands, Bureau of Land Management, and other federal land-owning agencies, and urban development. These jobs tend to be available on a year-round basis.