Geographers
Median $102,040
Occupation · SOC 19-3091
Anthropologists and Archeologists: pay and where the jobs are
What anthropologists and archeologists earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$70,770 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $75,620
- Median hourly wage
- $34.02
- Mean hourly wage
- $36.35
- Employment
- 8,990
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-3091.
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See where your pay falls among anthropologists and archeologists nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do anthropologists and archeologists make?
The median annual wage for anthropologists and archeologists was $70,770 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $49,050 and the highest-paid 10% more than $108,060. As an hourly rate, the median is $34.02. About 8,990 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Massachusetts ($121,300), Nebraska ($94,520) and Connecticut ($91,420). Massachusetts also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for anthropologists and archeologists looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,050 | $23.58 | $4,088 | $3,466 |
| 25th percentile | $59,400 | $28.56 | $4,950 | $4,159 |
| Median | $70,770 | $34.02 | $5,898 | $4,885 |
| 75th percentile | $89,670 | $43.11 | $7,473 | $5,993 |
| 90th percentile | $108,060 | $51.95 | $9,005 | $7,071 |
Anthropologists and Archeologists: pay by state
46 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$82,984 take-home in national prices
2
$79,802 take-home in national prices
3
$70,836 take-home in national prices
Where a median anthropologists and archeologist paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 80 | $121,300 | $78,750 | $126,420 | $87,762 | $82,984 |
| Nebraska | 40 | $94,520 | $50,440 | $131,270 | $71,904 | $79,802 |
| Connecticut | Not published | $91,420 | $46,550 | $117,070 | $68,409 | $66,025 |
| Alaska | 130 | $89,810 | $62,550 | $130,270 | $71,740 | $70,087 |
| Idaho | 170 | $88,710 | $63,130 | $104,250 | $67,644 | $70,836 |
| Oregon | 240 | $84,970 | $63,130 | $119,570 | $62,264 | $60,239 |
| Hawaii | 210 | $84,530 | $60,530 | $143,840 | $63,286 | $57,559 |
| Virginia | 320 | $80,230 | $47,420 | $107,620 | $61,473 | $60,801 |
| Pennsylvania | 130 | $79,660 | $49,750 | $99,560 | $62,369 | $63,922 |
| Montana | 80 | $79,420 | $60,900 | $110,190 | $61,576 | $65,060 |
| Wyoming | 80 | $76,400 | $40,070 | $100,420 | $62,577 | $67,512 |
| Alabama | 170 | $75,690 | $40,960 | $82,880 | $58,925 | $66,339 |
| Washington | 260 | $74,790 | $54,560 | $116,210 | $60,407 | $56,449 |
| Utah | 120 | $73,920 | $53,380 | $103,380 | $57,785 | $58,449 |
| North Carolina | 200 | $73,130 | $52,370 | $109,300 | $57,868 | $61,349 |
| California | 2,060 | $72,240 | $55,140 | $104,770 | $56,158 | $50,721 |
| Kentucky | 70 | $72,230 | $41,650 | $106,330 | $57,233 | $63,480 |
| Oklahoma | 90 | $71,740 | $46,070 | $97,470 | $56,616 | $64,452 |
| Puerto Rico | 40 | $70,950 | $36,910 | $111,310 | — | — |
| Colorado | 250 | $68,620 | $42,300 | $116,060 | $54,491 | $52,878 |
| New Mexico | 230 | $68,180 | $47,840 | $98,530 | $54,756 | $59,380 |
| Texas | 430 | $67,700 | $57,340 | $109,270 | $56,457 | $58,169 |
| Iowa | 40 | $67,270 | $47,770 | $94,290 | $54,250 | $61,815 |
| New York | 120 | $67,220 | $40,110 | $114,880 | $52,765 | $48,892 |
| Missouri | 80 | $66,930 | $63,130 | $100,420 | $53,707 | $59,137 |
| New Jersey | 140 | $66,230 | $56,320 | $101,810 | $52,816 | $48,542 |
| Minnesota | 140 | $65,920 | $48,390 | $102,910 | $51,898 | $52,623 |
| Arizona | 500 | $65,290 | $49,500 | $105,060 | $53,402 | $53,043 |
| Michigan | Not published | $64,700 | $60,270 | $97,470 | $51,667 | $53,699 |
| Nevada | 230 | $64,390 | $55,320 | $99,640 | $53,917 | $53,929 |
| North Dakota | Not published | $63,830 | $46,730 | $87,310 | $53,467 | $60,103 |
| Indiana | 70 | $63,730 | $46,180 | $94,490 | $51,537 | $55,220 |
| South Carolina | 50 | $63,130 | $51,310 | $100,420 | $51,035 | $54,438 |
| South Dakota | 40 | $63,130 | $50,110 | $97,470 | $52,905 | $59,722 |
| Wisconsin | 40 | $63,130 | $33,430 | $97,470 | $50,666 | $53,846 |
| Arkansas | 60 | $62,160 | $49,430 | $100,420 | $50,313 | $57,873 |
| New Hampshire | 40 | $61,160 | $47,590 | $92,600 | $51,322 | $49,270 |
| Tennessee | 160 | $60,310 | $43,450 | $93,370 | $50,639 | $55,120 |
| Illinois | 140 | $59,560 | $50,280 | $90,660 | $47,233 | $47,253 |
| Florida | 620 | $59,270 | $44,660 | $95,180 | $49,803 | $48,159 |
| Ohio | 70 | $59,160 | $40,580 | $79,750 | $48,532 | $52,312 |
| Georgia | 150 | $58,990 | $45,750 | $99,030 | $47,383 | $49,207 |
| West Virginia | 50 | $54,340 | $37,020 | $106,330 | $44,215 | $49,404 |
| Maryland | 220 | $54,160 | $46,760 | $105,420 | $43,491 | $41,436 |
| Louisiana | 110 | $47,750 | $40,490 | $103,380 | $39,501 | $44,782 |
| Kansas | 60 | $41,870 | $36,400 | $63,130 | $34,286 | $38,067 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-3091. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.