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An Archaeological Field Technician plays a vital role in excavating, documenting, and analyzing historical sites. Typically, these professionals earn an average salary of $41,352 per year, or about $20 per hour. Salaries vary significantly based on experience, specialization, and geographical location.
For those considering a career, certain states offer higher salaries due to demand and funding for archaeological projects. For instance, states with significant historical sites or higher budgets for preservation often pay more.
As you explore available positions, consider these factors to negotiate your salary effectively. Through platforms like Zippia, job seekers can access a range of opportunities and salary insights tailored to the archaeological field.
Let Zippia find your next archaeological field technician job
Let Zippia find your next archaeological field technician job
The highest-paying states for archaeological field technicians are Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The lowest average archaeological field technician salary states are Indiana, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $54,124 | $26.02 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $52,754 | $25.36 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $48,105 | $23.13 |
| 4 | Alaska | $51,570 | $24.79 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $50,062 | $24.07 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $46,167 | $22.20 |
| 7 | Maine | $46,748 | $22.48 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $53,735 | $25.83 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $48,642 | $23.39 |
| 10 | Oregon | $47,891 | $23.02 |
| 11 | Nevada | $45,281 | $21.77 |
| 12 | Texas | $46,276 | $22.25 |
| 13 | Delaware | $46,038 | $22.13 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $49,477 | $23.79 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $43,919 | $21.11 |
| 16 | Virginia | $46,100 | $22.16 |
| 17 | Montana | $41,697 | $20.05 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $46,309 | $22.26 |
| 19 | California | $45,944 | $22.09 |
| 20 | Iowa | $40,615 | $19.53 |
| 21 | Washington | $46,025 | $22.13 |
| 22 | Idaho | $41,795 | $20.09 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $41,090 | $19.75 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $42,144 | $20.26 |
| 25 | Michigan | $43,448 | $20.89 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $40,460 | $19.45 |
| 27 | Utah | $39,230 | $18.86 |
| 28 | Missouri | $40,391 | $19.42 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $39,537 | $19.01 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $40,887 | $19.66 |
| 31 | New York | $41,929 | $20.16 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $38,384 | $18.45 |
| 33 | Illinois | $41,639 | $20.02 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $44,897 | $21.59 |
| 35 | Arizona | $38,365 | $18.44 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $40,353 | $19.40 |
| 37 | Maryland | $42,633 | $20.50 |
| 38 | Colorado | $37,863 | $18.20 |
| 39 | Ohio | $39,417 | $18.95 |
| 40 | Alabama | $38,754 | $18.63 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $39,498 | $18.99 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $38,264 | $18.40 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $38,477 | $18.50 |
| 44 | Florida | $35,377 | $17.01 |
| 45 | Georgia | $35,381 | $17.01 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $35,384 | $17.01 |
| 47 | Kansas | $37,453 | $18.01 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $36,844 | $17.71 |
| 49 | Indiana | $35,906 | $17.26 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $35,774 | $17.20 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $33,512 | $16.11 |
The highest-paying cities for archaeological field technicians are Boston, MA, Minneapolis, MN, and Portland, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $53,735 | $25.83 |
| 2 | Minneapolis, MN | $48,621 | $23.38 |
| 3 | Portland, OR | $48,046 | $23.10 |
| 4 | Bismarck, ND | $47,743 | $22.95 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $47,108 | $22.65 |
| 6 | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | $46,660 | $22.43 |
| 7 | Reno, NV | $46,476 | $22.34 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $46,412 | $22.31 |
| 9 | Bothell, WA | $46,243 | $22.23 |
| 10 | Laramie, WY | $45,388 | $21.82 |
| 11 | Appleton, WI | $44,891 | $21.58 |
| 12 | Buffalo, NY | $42,459 | $20.41 |
| 13 | Missoula, MT | $42,023 | $20.20 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $41,838 | $20.11 |
| 15 | Pittsburgh, PA | $40,039 | $19.25 |
| 16 | Baton Rouge, LA | $39,521 | $19.00 |
| 17 | Columbia, SC | $38,455 | $18.49 |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ | $38,414 | $18.47 |
| 19 | Albuquerque, NM | $38,267 | $18.40 |
| 20 | Atlanta, GA | $35,373 | $17.01 |
An archaeological field technician's salary ranges from $33,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $50,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
| 75th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
| Average | $41,352 | $3,446 | $20 |
| 25th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
The highest paying types of archaeological field technicians are audit technician, ammunition technician, and senior field technician.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
| Environmental Services Supervisor | $40,163 | $3,347 | $19.31 | 67,959 |
| Technician | $38,045 | $3,170 | $18.29 | 596,842 |
| Surveillance Technician | $41,279 | $3,440 | $19.85 | 13,099 |
| Field Installation Technician | $40,685 | $3,390 | $19.56 | 92,922 |
| Environmental Technician | $39,690 | $3,308 | $19.08 | 43,079 |
Top companies hiring archaeological field technicians now:
Archaeological field technician salaries at ERM and Michael Baker are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average archaeological field technician salary at companies like RGA Environmental, A Terracon Company and Rincon Consultants are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ERM | $43,476 | $20.90 |
| 2 | Michael Baker | $42,645 | $20.50 |
| 3 | RGA Environmental, A Terracon Company | $42,617 | $20.49 |
| 4 | Rincon Consultants | $42,435 | $20.40 |
| 5 | Environmental Consulting & Technology | $42,108 | $20.24 |
| 6 | Environmental Science Associates | $42,049 | $20.22 |
| 7 | Amec Foster Wheeler | $42,049 | $20.22 |
| 8 | Stantec | $41,547 | $19.97 |
| 9 | S&ME | $41,538 | $19.97 |
| 10 | TRC Companies | $41,110 | $19.76 |
| 11 | WestLand Resources | $41,016 | $19.72 |
| 12 | Dewberry | $40,615 | $19.53 |
| 13 | Woods Services | $40,294 | $19.37 |
| 14 | Tetra Tech | $39,422 | $18.95 |
| 15 | NOVAworks | $36,088 | $17.35 |
The average archaeological field technician salary has risen by $4,821 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average archaeological field technician earned $36,531 annually, but today, they earn $41,352 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for archaeological field technicians over the last decade.
Compare archaeological field technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare archaeological field technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $41,400 | $19.88 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | $41,200 | $19.79 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $39,900 | $19.18 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $39,300 | $18.90 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $38,200 | $18.36 | +2.6% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| True Environmental | Archaeology Field Technician-Gulf Coast | Baton Rouge, LA | 06/26/2025 | $41,740 |
| Tetra Tech, Inc. | Archaeological Field Technician-Western Plains and Front Range | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/25/2025 | $58,436 |
| True Environmental | Archaeology Field Technician-Gulf Coast | Houston, TX | 06/25/2025 | $41,740 |
| Erm | Archaeological Field Technician | Irvine, CA | 06/22/2025 | $73,207 |
| Stantec Inc. | Archaeological Field Technician | Philadelphia, PA | 06/20/2025 | $44,200 |
| Stantec Inc. | Archaeological Field Technician | Amherst, OH | 06/20/2025 | $44,200 |
| Stantec Inc. | Archaeological Field Technician | Rochester, NY | 06/20/2025 | $44,200 |
| Power Engineers | Archaeological Field Technician Temporary | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/19/2025 | $43,827 |
| Power Engineers | Archaeological Field Technician Temporary | Portland, OR | 06/19/2025 | $43,827 |
| Power Engineers | Archaeological Field Technician Temporary | Las Vegas, NV | 06/19/2025 | $43,827 |
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