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Universities & Liberal Arts Colleges
Harvard University, University of Michigan, Stanford University
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary
These teachers split their time between classrooms, advising, and original research in anthropology or archaeology. The work stands out because it often includes field studies, publications, and conference presentations alongside teaching, so the job is as much about building new knowledge as it is about sharing it. The tradeoff is that the work can be intellectually flexible and rewarding, but it usually demands a doctorate and comes with a very small, competitive hiring market.
Also known as Anthropology ProfessorArchaeology ProfessorAnthropology InstructorArchaeology InstructorAnthropology Lecturer
Median Salary
$95,770
Mean $102,530
U.S. Workforce
~5K
0.5K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+2.7%
6.5K to 6.7K
Entry Education
Doctoral or professional degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary sits in the Education category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~5K workers, with a median annual pay of $95,770 and roughly 0.5K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 6.5 K in 2024 to 6.7K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Doctoral degree in anthropology, archaeology, or a related field, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Graduate Teaching Assistant and can progress toward Associate Professor or Department Chair. High-value skills usually include Ethnographic Field Methods & Site Recording, Qualitative Coding in NVivo & Atlas.ti, and SPSS, R & Statistical Analysis, paired with soft skills such as Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and Writing.
Core Responsibilities
- Advise student clubs and act as a mentor for students outside the classroom.
- Help students choose courses, plan careers, and connect their studies to field or lab research.
- Teach classes, create quizzes and exams, and grade papers and other assignments.
- Work with other faculty to improve courses, solve teaching problems, and coordinate research projects.
Keep exploring: more Education careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Advise student clubs and act as a mentor for students outside the classroom.
02 Help students choose courses, plan careers, and connect their studies to field or lab research.
03 Teach classes, create quizzes and exams, and grade papers and other assignments.
04 Work with other faculty to improve courses, solve teaching problems, and coordinate research projects.
05 Do field research, study findings, and turn the results into journal articles, books, or conference talks.
06 Take part in faculty hiring and review candidates for open teaching and research positions.
Industries That Hire
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Community Colleges
Miami Dade College, Houston Community College, Santa Monica College
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Online Higher Education
Southern New Hampshire University, Arizona State University, Purdue Global
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Museums & Cultural Heritage
Smithsonian Institution, The Field Museum, British Museum
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Government & Preservation Agencies
National Park Service, Library of Congress, UNESCO
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is relatively strong for academia, with a mean annual wage of $102,530 and a median of $95,770.
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BLS says no prior work experience or on-the-job training is required, so once you have the degree, there is not a long apprenticeship phase.
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The job combines teaching with original research, so you are not repeating the same classroom routine all day.
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Field research keeps the work concrete and varied, whether you are studying sites, artifacts, or communities in person.
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You can build deep expertise in a narrow topic and use it in publications, conferences, and specialized courses.
Challenges
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The education barrier is high: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry point, and 68.18% of workers hold a doctorate.
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The job market is very small, with only 5,260 workers today and about 0.5 thousand annual openings, so hiring is competitive.
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Growth is modest at 2.7% from 2024 to 2034, which means the field is not expanding fast enough to create lots of new openings.
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Many institutions rely on short-term or part-time teaching, so stable full-time jobs can be hard to land and keep.
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Research expectations, field travel, and publishing deadlines can add a lot of unpaid or hard-to-plan work outside the classroom, and funding for fieldwork is not guaranteed.
Career Progression
Graduate Teaching Assistant
0-3 years
$30K-$42K
Supports professors, leads discussion sections, grades student work, and builds teaching experience while completing graduate study.
Adjunct Instructor
1-5 years
$42K-$60K
Teaches one or two classes at a time, usually on short contracts, and often works across more than one campus.
Assistant Professor THIS ROLE
3-9 years
$60K-$89K
Runs courses, advises students, and builds a publication and research record needed for longer-term academic jobs.
Anthropology and Archeology Teacher, Postsecondary
6-15 years
$90K-$120K
Balances teaching, advising, committee work, and research while carrying the core responsibility for undergraduate and graduate instruction.
Associate Professor or Department Chair
12-25 years
$121K-$170K
Leads programs, mentors junior faculty, manages hiring and curriculum decisions, and spends more time on administration and research oversight.
Education Paths
Doctoral degree in anthropology, archaeology, or a related field
The most common entry point, held by 68.18% of workers in this role, and it matches the BLS typical entry requirement of a doctoral or professional degree.
Master's degree with strong teaching and research experience
A smaller route used by 18.18% of workers, usually for people who combine graduate study with teaching or field experience before moving into postsecondary instruction.
Post-master's certificate plus graduate study
A niche path held by 4.55% of workers, often used to add specialized preparation in teaching, field methods, or a focused subfield.
Bachelor's degree followed by substantial graduate coursework
An uncommon route used by 4.55% of workers, but most people who start here still need advanced study to be competitive for a postsecondary teaching job.
Key Skills
Technical
Ethnographic Field Methods & Site Recording 88%
Qualitative Coding in NVivo & Atlas.ti 85%
SPSS, R & Statistical Analysis 83%
ArcGIS, QGIS & Spatial Analysis 80%
Blackboard, Canvas & Learning Management Systems 77%
Zotero, EndNote & Scholarly Research Management 74%
Soft Skills
SpeakingReading ComprehensionWritingInstructingActive ListeningCritical Thinking Job Outlook and Trends
+2.7%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
0.5K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 6.5K to 6.7 K over the next decade, representing 2.7% growth. Around 0.5 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.