What are my career choices in archaeology?
There are several levels of being an archaeologist, and where you are at in your career is related to the level of education you have and the experience you’ve received. There are two common types of archaeologists: those based at universities, and those based at cultural resource management (CRM) firms, firms that conduct archaeological investigations associated with federal construction projects. Other archaeology-related jobs are found at National Parks, Museums, and State Historical Societies.
Field Technician / Crew Chief / Field Supervisor
A field technician is the first level of field experience any one gets in archaeology. As a field tech you travel the world as a freelancer, excavating or conducting survey any where the jobs are. Like most other kinds of freelancers, you are generally on your own when it comes to health benefits, but there are definitely benefits to the ‘travel the world on your own’ lifestyle. You can read about the way field technicians work in the Have Trowel Will Travel: Field Technicians in Archaeology series. You can work on CRM projects or academic projects, but in general the CRM jobs are paid positions, while the academic field jobs are volunteer or even require tuition. A Crew Chief and Field Supervisor are Field Technicians who have earned additional responsibility. You’ll need a college degree in archaeology or anthropology (or be working on one) to get this job.
Project Archaeologist / Principal Investigator / Manager
A project archaeologist is the middle level of cultural resource managers, who writes proposals and budgets, supervises excavations, and writes reports on excavations conducted. These are permanent jobs, and health benefits and 401K plans are common. You can work on CRM projects or academic projects, and under normal circumstances, both are paid positions. An CRM Office Manager supervises several PA/PI positions. You’ll need an MA in archaeology or anthropology to get one of these jobs. See Getting into Graduate School for more information.
Academic Archaeologist
The academic archaeologist or college professor is probably more familiar to most people. This person teaches classes on various archaeology topics at a university or college through the school year, and conducts archaeological expeditions during the summer terms. You’ll need a PhD to get this job; these are also relatively rare.
There are other, related jobs in archaeology you can look into, such as cultural resource lawyer or GIS specialist. These are described in Alternate Careers in Archaeology.
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