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Anthropologists and Archeologists
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Education
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Job Training
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Examples
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.
Study the origin, development, and behavior of human beings. May study the way of life, language, or physical characteristics of people in various parts of the world. May engage in systematic recovery and examination of material evidence, such as tools or pottery remaining from past human cultures, in order to determine the history, customs, and living habits of earlier civilizations.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $40K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $51K
Median Salary: $66K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $84K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $102K
Demand
Core Tasks
Study objects and structures recovered by excavation to identify, date, and authenticate them and to interpret their significance.
Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.
Research, survey, or assess sites of past societies and cultures in search of answers to specific research questions.
Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences.
Describe artifacts' physical properties or attributes, such as the materials from which artifacts are made and their size, shape, function, and decoration.
Plan and direct research to characterize and compare the economic, demographic, health care, social, political, linguistic, and religious institutions of distinct cultural groups, communities, and organizations.
Assess archeological sites for resource management, development, or conservation purposes and recommend methods for site protection.
Compare findings from one site with archeological data from other sites to find similarities or differences.
Record the exact locations and conditions of artifacts uncovered in diggings or surveys, using drawings and photographs as necessary.
Gather and analyze artifacts and skeletal remains to increase knowledge of ancient cultures.
Collect artifacts made of stone, bone, metal, and other materials, placing them in bags and marking them to show where they were found.
Identify culturally specific beliefs and practices affecting health status and access to services for distinct populations and communities, in collaboration with medical and public health officials.
Consult site reports, existing artifacts, and topographic maps to identify archeological sites.
Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, technology development, policy making, and program planning.
Advise government agencies, private organizations, and communities regarding proposed programs, plans, and policies and their potential impacts on cultural institutions, organizations, and communities.
Create data records for use in describing and analyzing social patterns and processes, using photography, videography, and audio recordings.
Develop intervention procedures, using techniques such as individual and focus group interviews, consultations, and participant observation of social interaction.
Develop and test theories concerning the origin and development of past cultures.
Lead field training sites and train field staff, students, and volunteers in excavation methods.
Collaborate with economic development planners to decide on the implementation of proposed development policies, plans, and programs based on culturally institutionalized barriers and facilitating circumstances.
Clean, restore, and preserve artifacts.
Conduct participatory action research in communities and organizations to assess how work is done and to design work systems, technologies, and environments.
Organize public exhibits and displays to promote public awareness of diverse and distinctive cultural traditions.
Formulate general rules that describe and predict the development and behavior of cultures and social institutions.
Study archival collections of primary historical sources to help explain the origins and development of cultural patterns.
Apply traditional ecological knowledge and assessments of culturally distinctive land and resource management institutions to assist in the resolution of conflicts over habitat protection and resource enhancement.
Enhance the cultural sensitivity of elementary and secondary curricula and classroom interactions in collaboration with educators and teachers.
Participate in forensic activities, such as tooth and bone structure identification, in conjunction with police departments and pathologists.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Sociology and Anthropology
97%
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
History and Archeology
93%
Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
English Language
88%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Geography
75%
Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Education and Training
73%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Foreign Language
72%
Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Computers and Electronics
68%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Mathematics
61%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Communications and Media
60%
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Biology
59%
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Top 10 Skills
Writing
85%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Reading Comprehension
84%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening
82%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
82%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
80%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning
79%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Science
78%
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Complex Problem Solving
77%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making
72%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Social Perceptiveness
69%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Top 10 Abilities
Written Comprehension
87%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression
85%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Oral Expression
84%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Inductive Reasoning
83%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Deductive Reasoning
82%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Oral Comprehension
82%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Speech Clarity
80%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Information Ordering
77%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision
77%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Category Flexibility
74%
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Top 10 Work Activities
Analyzing Data or Information
96%
Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Getting Information
95%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Documenting/Recording Information
92%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
92%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
92%
Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Processing Information
92%
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Interacting With Computers
88%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Thinking Creatively
87%
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
87%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
84%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Detailed Work Activities
Conduct anthropological or archaeological research.
Collect information from people through observation, interviews, or surveys.
Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
Evaluate characteristics of archival or historical objects.
Plan social sciences research.
Direct scientific activities.
Record research or operational data.
Inspect condition of natural environments.
Advise others about environmental management or conservation.
Collect biological specimens.
Mark materials or objects for identification.
Package materials or products.
Conduct research on social issues.
Collect archival data.
Train personnel in technical or scientific procedures.
Advise others on matters of public policy.
Document events or evidence, using photographic or audiovisual equipment.
Design psychological or educational treatment procedures or programs.
Collaborate with technical specialists to resolve design or development problems.
Communicate with government agencies.
Clean objects.
Conduct scientific research of organizational behavior or processes.
Plan community programs or activities for the general public.
Develop theories or models of social phenomena.
Conduct historical research.
Apply knowledge or research findings to address environmental problems.
Advise others on educational matters.
Analyze forensic evidence to solve crimes.
Instruct college students in social sciences or humanities disciplines.
Write grant proposals.
Majors
Major
Interests
Investigative
98%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic
72%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Realistic
58%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional
50%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Social
41%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Enterprising
34%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Top 10 Work Styles
Analytical Thinking
93%
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Attention to Detail
91%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Integrity
91%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Persistence
89%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Adaptability/Flexibility
86%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Initiative
86%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Achievement/Effort
85%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Dependability
85%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Cooperation
83%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Independence
80%
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Work Values
Achievement
84%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
79%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
74%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Working Conditions
74%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Relationships
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
43%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
