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Archaeologist salary
Average archaeologist salary
$50,314
How much does an archaeologist make?
The average archaeologist salary in the United States is $50,314. Archaeologist salaries typically range between $33,000 and $75,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for archaeologists is $24.19 per hour.
Archaeologist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Archaeologists earn the highest average salary in Rhode Island.
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Where can an Archaeologist earn more?
Archaeologist salary estimates from across the web
Average archaeologist salary by state
Highest paying states for archaeologists
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $58,070 | $27.92 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $60,165 | $28.93 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $58,157 | $27.96 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $60,426 | $29.05 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $59,894 | $28.80 |
| 6 | Maine | $55,221 | $26.55 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $58,633 | $28.19 |
| 8 | Nevada | $53,549 | $25.74 |
| 9 | Arizona | $51,576 | $24.80 |
| 10 | New York | $59,618 | $28.66 |
| 11 | Delaware | $58,407 | $28.08 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $59,494 | $28.60 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $51,464 | $24.74 |
| 14 | Maryland | $56,788 | $27.30 |
| 15 | Virginia | $54,927 | $26.41 |
| 16 | Ohio | $50,992 | $24.52 |
| 17 | Vermont | $56,147 | $26.99 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $49,232 | $23.67 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $56,332 | $27.08 |
| 20 | California | $54,188 | $26.05 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $48,145 | $23.15 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $49,466 | $23.78 |
| 23 | Michigan | $51,657 | $24.84 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $50,185 | $24.13 |
| 25 | Oregon | $50,317 | $24.19 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $49,065 | $23.59 |
| 27 | Washington | $49,499 | $23.80 |
| 28 | Montana | $47,199 | $22.69 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $46,735 | $22.47 |
| 30 | Texas | $49,735 | $23.91 |
| 31 | Indiana | $48,142 | $23.15 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $45,413 | $21.83 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $44,998 | $21.63 |
| 34 | Utah | $47,506 | $22.84 |
| 35 | Florida | $48,659 | $23.39 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $48,558 | $23.35 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $46,758 | $22.48 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $47,221 | $22.70 |
| 39 | Iowa | $46,797 | $22.50 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $46,995 | $22.59 |
| 41 | Illinois | $48,421 | $23.28 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $45,249 | $21.75 |
| 43 | Idaho | $47,355 | $22.77 |
| 44 | Alabama | $46,406 | $22.31 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $45,032 | $21.65 |
| 46 | Missouri | $44,907 | $21.59 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $45,518 | $21.88 |
| 48 | Kansas | $44,528 | $21.41 |
| 49 | Georgia | $46,168 | $22.20 |
| 50 | Colorado | $44,886 | $21.58 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $45,176 | $21.72 |
Highest paying cities for archaeologists
The highest-paying cities for archaeologists are Chelmsford, MA, Troy, NY, and Manchester, NH.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelmsford, MA | $59,517 | $28.61 |
| 2 | Troy, NY | $59,113 | $28.42 |
| 3 | Manchester, NH | $58,626 | $28.19 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $56,414 | $27.12 |
| 5 | Arlington, VA | $56,355 | $27.09 |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | $56,005 | $26.93 |
| 7 | Las Vegas, NV | $53,432 | $25.69 |
| 8 | Southfield, MI | $51,941 | $24.97 |
| 9 | Phoenix, AZ | $51,808 | $24.91 |
| 10 | Eugene, OR | $50,843 | $24.44 |
| 11 | Raleigh, NC | $50,478 | $24.27 |
| 12 | Albuquerque, NM | $50,249 | $24.16 |
| 13 | Houston, TX | $50,210 | $24.14 |
| 14 | Seattle, WA | $49,797 | $23.94 |
| 15 | Miami, FL | $48,709 | $23.42 |
| 16 | Minneapolis, MN | $48,544 | $23.34 |
| 17 | Ogden, UT | $46,866 | $22.53 |
| 18 | Columbia, SC | $46,822 | $22.51 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $45,964 | $22.10 |
| 20 | Little Rock, AR | $45,229 | $21.74 |
Archaeologist salary details
An archaeologist's salary ranges from $33,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $75,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an archaeologist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
| 75th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| Average | $50,314 | $4,193 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
Highest paying archaeologist jobs
The highest paying types of archaeologists are environmental scientist, principal archaeologist, and environmental specialist.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Service Technician | $30,862 | $2,572 | $14.84 | 83,697 |
| Planning Internship | $33,695 | $2,808 | $16.20 | 57,335 |
| Environmental Technician | $39,690 | $3,308 | $19.08 | 43,079 |
| Environmental Scientist | $60,208 | $5,017 | $28.95 | 56,425 |
Top companies hiring archaeologists now:
Which companies pay archaeologists the most?
Archaeologist salaries at Arcadis and HDR are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average archaeologist salary at companies like AECOM and Stantec are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arcadis | $75,660 | $36.38 |
| 2 | HDR | $72,424 | $34.82 |
| 3 | AECOM | $71,951 | $34.59 |
| 4 | Stantec | $69,523 | $33.42 |
| 5 | Eastern Washington University | $66,135 | $31.80 |
| 6 | Civil & Environmental Consultants | $66,077 | $31.77 |
| 7 | Michael Baker | $65,843 | $31.66 |
| 8 | HNTB | $63,867 | $30.71 |
| 9 | ERM | $63,658 | $30.60 |
| 10 | GEI Consultants | $59,463 | $28.59 |
| 11 | Tetra Tech | $58,916 | $28.32 |
| 12 | ICF | $58,630 | $28.19 |
| 13 | HBK Engineering | $58,158 | $27.96 |
| 14 | Johnson Mirmiran & Thompson Inc | $58,064 | $27.92 |
| 15 | Forest Manufacturing Co | $57,987 | $27.88 |
| 16 | VHB | $56,338 | $27.09 |
| 17 | Bureau of Land Management | $56,127 | $26.98 |
| 18 | Atwell | $55,972 | $26.91 |
| 19 | Wsp USA Buildings Inc. | $55,222 | $26.55 |
| 20 | RGA Environmental, A Terracon Company | $55,088 | $26.48 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Archaeologist salary trends
The average archaeologist salary has risen by $7,654 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average archaeologist earned $42,660 annually, but today, they earn $50,314 a year. That works out to a 5% change in pay for archaeologists over the last decade.
Compare archaeologist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average archaeologist salary over time
Compare archaeologist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Archaeologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,300 | $24.19 | +3.7% |
| 2024 | $48,400 | $23.29 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $47,500 | $22.83 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | $47,400 | $22.78 | -1.5% |
| 2021 | $48,100 | $23.11 | +3.1% |
Recently added archaeologist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stantec Inc. | Archaeologist | San Francisco, CA | 12/17/2024 | $56,349 |
| North Dakota | Archaeologist II | Bismarck, ND | 12/16/2024 | $80,880 |
| Ecorp Consulting, Inc. | Staff Archaeologist | Rocklin, CA | 12/16/2024 | $53,000 |
| Gsi Engineering LLC | Project Archaeologist I | Richmond, VA | 12/15/2024 | $60,000 |
| State of Virginia | Archaeologist | Fairfax, VA | 12/13/2024 | $60,000 |
| Montrose Services | Project Archaeologist | Ione, CA | 12/13/2024 | $62,610 |
| Department of The Interior | Archaeologist (Code 4 Supervisor) | Furnace Creek, CA | 12/13/2024 | $74,050 |
| Henry M. Jackson Foundation | Historical Archaeologist-Dpaa Labs | Hawaii | 12/12/2024 | $73,800 |
| Confederated Tribes of The Umatilla Indian Reservation | Archaeologist I/II | Pendleton, OR | 12/12/2024 | $62,023 |
| Eocene Environmental Group | Project Archaeologist | UT | Cove, UT | 12/12/2024 | $66,784 |
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