How to become an archaeologist without a degree

You can not become an archaeologist without a degree. All archaeologists at least have a bachelor's degree in archaeology. And most have an additional master's degree in a specialized field of archaeology. Very many archeologists have PhDs as well, as many are doctors of archaeology.

What are the pros and cons of being an archaeologist?

The pros and cons of being an archaeologist are that while it can be intellectually stimulating with opportunities for travel and a sense of adventure, it can also be physically demanding, competitive, and involve a lot of paperwork with low pay.

What does an archaeologist do on a typical day?

An archaeologist does research, writing, planning, digging, organizing and analyzing findings on a typical day. While most people picture Indiana Jones as the template for what archaeology involves when in reality it is far less adventurous and involves spending significant amounts of time at the library or behind a computer screen.

How To Become An Archaeologist: What It Is and Career Path

What is an archaeologist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

William Farley PhD

An archaeologist is an individual who studies and analyzes the origin and development of prehistoric human behavior to increase our understanding of human culture. They do this by examining behaviors, cultures, archaeological remains, and artifacts. Archaeologists' primary objectives are to understand cultural history, document the human past, and explain the changes in human behaviors throughout history.

An archaeologist may decide to specialize in one of the many fields of archaeology such as historical archaeology, maritime archaeology, experimental archaeology, ethnoarchaeology, archaeometry, etc. Depending on the specialty area, an archaeologist uses sophisticated tools and technology like excavating tools, geographic information systems, and laboratory equipment to carry out their work.

An archaeologist typically works between 35 - 40 hours a week. A lot of their work involves fieldwork and may be required to travel frequently. They also work on the weekends in case they have tight deadlines.

What general advice would you give to an Archaeologist?

William Farley PhD

Associate Professor of Anthropology, Southern Connecticut State University

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.

ScoreArchaeologistUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $50,314

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

5.0

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.79%

Asian 6.68%

Black or African American 6.84%

Hispanic or Latino 14.08%

Unknown 5.56%

White 66.05%

Gender

female 47.13%

male 52.87%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress Level

5.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

7.1

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

2.7

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an archaeologist

Explore archaeologist education requirements

Most common archaeologist degrees

Bachelor's

74.4 %

Master's

14.8 %

Associate

6.1 %

Start to develop specific archaeologist skills

Skills	Percentages
Excavations	26.65%
GPS	12.37%
GIS	7.20%
Technical Reports	6.09%
Data Recovery	5.08%

Complete relevant archaeologist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New archaeologists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an archaeologist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real archaeologist resumes.

Research archaeologist duties and responsibilities

Manage field research, artifact database, data records, and federal and state require reports.
Manage contracts for curation of museum items, propose actions to repatriate NAGPRA materials and resolve curation problems.
Coordinate and authore NEPA and NHPA documents for federal projects.
Coordinate requirements of the NHPA and NEPA by serving as an NEPA interdisciplinary team member and providing expert technical advice.

Prepare your archaeologist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your archaeologist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an archaeologist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Archaeologist Resume templates

Build a professional Archaeologist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Archaeologist resume.

Apply for archaeologist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an archaeologist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do archaeologists rate their job?