Archaeologist
Also known as: Archeologist, Cultural Resource Manager, Field Archaeologist, CRM Archaeologist
Excavate and analyze material remains — artifacts, structures, and landscapes — to reconstruct and interpret human history and prehistory. Work spans outdoor field excavations, laboratory artifact analysis, and technical report writing, predominantly in cultural resource management (CRM) firms or government agencies.
Salary Range
The highest-paid specialization or seniority level for archaeologists.
About 1 in 25 reaches this level
Roughly 8,800 archaeologists in the US; the top tier includes PI/Directors at large CRM firms and GS-14 federal archaeologists at NPS, BLM, USFS, and Army Corps — GS-14 Step 10 with high-cost locality pay (DC, SF) reaches $165K+, representing perhaps 300-400 slots nationally.
Salary data based on 2025 BLS, Glassdoor, and industry reports. Actual compensation varies by location, experience, and employer.
How to Become One
This career typically requires a master's degree.
AI Risk Assessment
AI and LiDAR remote sensing are accelerating site discovery — tasks that once required years of manual aerial photo analysis can now be completed in weeks, and machine learning tools are also compressing entry-level artifact classification and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data processing. However, physical excavation, stratigraphic interpretation, and the legal compliance consultation required by the National Historic Preservation Act cannot be automated, keeping the core of the job human; the Frey-Osborne automation study estimated only 0.7% probability of computerization for archaeologists. The bigger near-term threat for new graduates is the already-small job market: BLS reports ~8,800 jobs nationally with roughly 800 projected openings per year against a competitive pool of MA and PhD candidates.
Sources
Ratings reflect a 10-year outlook based on 2025-2026 research, weighted toward entry-level impact. Individual outcomes will vary.
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