Anthropologists and Archeologists

Study the origin, development, and behavior of human beings. May study the way of life, language, or physical characteristics of people in various parts of the world. May engage in systematic recovery and examination of material evidence, such as tools or pottery remaining from past human cultures, in order to determine the history, customs, and living habits of earlier civilizations.

Most important skills

Writing
Speaking
Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Active Learning
Complex Problem Solving
Monitoring

Key knowledge

Sociology and Anthropology
English Language
History and Archeology
Foreign Language
Education and Training
Geography
Communications and Media
Philosophy and Theology

What the work involves

Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.
Research, survey, or assess sites of past societies and cultures in search of answers to specific research questions.
Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences.
Plan and direct research to characterize and compare the economic, demographic, health care, social, political, linguistic, and religious institutions of distinct cultural groups, communities, and organizations.
Identify culturally specific beliefs and practices affecting health status and access to services for distinct populations and communities, in collaboration with medical and public health officials.
Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, technology development, policy making, and program planning.
Advise government agencies, private organizations, and communities regarding proposed programs, plans, and policies and their potential impacts on cultural institutions, organizations, and communities.
Create data records for use in describing and analyzing social patterns and processes, using photography, videography, and audio recordings.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Artistic, Realistic.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Doctoral Degree (40% of respondents)
Related experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (35%)
On-the-job training: None or short demonstration (20%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 5: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Anthropologists and Archeologists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Low	Lower on contact with others than 76% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time”
Dealing with the public	Low	Lower on dealing with the public than 61% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly important”
Teamwork	Very low	Lower on teamwork than 92% of occupations compared	33% of surveyed respondents chose “Important”
Freedom to make decisions	High	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 77% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom”
Time pressure	Low	Lower on time pressure than 63% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Conflict situations	Low	Lower on conflict situations than 68% of occupations compared	55% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 65% of occupations compared	58% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Consequence of error	Very low	Lower on consequence of error than 87% of occupations compared	33% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: low
Conflict situations: low
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
Consequence of error: very low

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions