Salary for archaeologists can vary, as there are many factors that go into determining your archaeologist salary: years of experience, employer, level of education and the area of employment.Begin by considering your education and experience. Have you studied in a related field? Are you just starting out on your career path? How much have you put into your career thus far? The more time you’ve spent learning about what you do and the more time you’ve been doing it – the higher your salary will likely be. Some employers are willing to pay generously to attract an experienced archaeologist but they may not be willing to offer a higher salary once hired.
Salaries for archaeologists vary widely. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual salary for all archaeologists was $59,000 in May 2016.
However, the Bureau also reports that wages for this occupation vary greatly depending on location, education and experience level, among other factors. For example, archaeologists working in Washington, D.C., earned an average of $72,000 per year as of 2016. Meanwhile, those working in New York City earned an average salary of just under $69,000 per year during the same period.
Archaeologists who work for state or local governments may receive higher salaries than those who work for private companies or nonprofit organizations. For example, archaeologists working for state agencies earned an average salary of $67,000 per year as of 2016.
Salary for archaeologist
A person working as an Archeologist in United States typically earns around 124,000 USD per year. Salaries range from 60,600 USD (lowest) to 193,000 USD (highest).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Archeologist salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Archeologist Salary Distribution in United States
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
- Salary RangeArcheologist salaries in United States range from 60,600 USD per year (minimum salary) to 193,000 USD per year (maximum salary).
- Median SalaryThe median salary is 126,000 USD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Archeologist(s) are earning less than 126,000 USD while the other half are earning more than 126,000 USD. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
- PercentilesClosely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Archeologist(s) are earning less than 84,000 USD while 75% of them are earning more than 84,000 USD. Also from the diagram, 75% of Archeologist(s) are earning less than 163,000 USD while 25% are earning more than 163,000 USD.
Archeologist Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Archeologist salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
An Archeologist with less than two years of experience makes approximately 71,800 USD per year.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 92,300 USD per year, 29% more than someone with less than two year’s experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 127,000 USD per year, 38% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, Archeologist(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 158,000 USD per year, 24% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 169,000 USD per year, 7% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 180,000 USD per year, 7% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Archeologist average salary change by experience in United States
0 – 2 Years | 71,800 USD | |
2 – 5 Years | +29% | 92,300 USD |
5 – 10 Years | +38% | 127,000 USD |
10 – 15 Years | +24% | 158,000 USD |
15 – 20 Years | +7% | 169,000 USD |
20+ Years | +7% | 180,000 USD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Archeologist Salary Comparison By Education
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Archeologist salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Bachelor’s Degree, the average salary of an Archeologist is 84,400 USD per year.
While someone with a Master’s Degree gets a salary of 116,000 USD per year, 38% more than someone having a Bachelor’s Degree degree.
A PhD gets its holder an average salary of 190,000 USD per year, 64% more than someone with a Master’s Degree.
Archeologist average salary difference by education level in United States
Bachelor’s Degree | 84,400 USD | |
Master’s Degree | +38% | 116,000 USD |
PhD | +64% | 190,000 USD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value