Anthropologists and Archeologists
Also called: Archaeologist, Communication and Folklore Specialist, Forensic Anthropologist, ResearcherStudy 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 22 of its 30 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 6.0% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Miscellaneous social scientists and related workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 67% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $75,690 | $54,070 to $78,630 | 170 |
| Alaska | $89,810 | $76,000 to $108,660 | 130 |
| Arizona | $65,290 | $60,400 to $82,490 | 500 |
| Arkansas | $62,160 | $55,520 to $83,780 | 60 |
| California | $72,240 | $62,620 to $87,940 | 2,060 |
| Colorado | $68,620 | $54,220 to $91,560 | 250 |
| Connecticut | $91,420 | $49,810 to $100,790 | not published |
| Florida | $59,270 | $52,190 to $83,060 | 620 |
| Georgia | $58,990 | $50,550 to $75,790 | 150 |
| Hawaii | $84,530 | $76,340 to $111,700 | 210 |
| Idaho | $88,710 | $66,390 to $104,250 | 170 |
| Illinois | $59,560 | $52,260 to $68,450 | 140 |
| Indiana | $63,730 | $50,230 to $76,350 | 70 |
| Iowa | $67,270 | $64,610 to $69,150 | 40 |
| Kansas | $41,870 | $38,680 to $44,350 | 60 |
| Kentucky | $72,230 | $60,180 to $88,710 | 70 |
| Louisiana | $47,750 | $43,680 to $84,020 | 110 |
| Maryland | $54,160 | $49,050 to $84,310 | 220 |
| Massachusetts | $121,300 | $85,990 to $121,710 | 80 |
| Michigan | $64,700 | $60,440 to $67,140 | not published |
| Minnesota | $65,920 | $48,400 to $82,650 | 140 |
| Missouri | $66,930 | $65,730 to $86,260 | 80 |
| Montana | $79,420 | $63,130 to $94,520 | 80 |
| Nebraska | $94,520 | $65,580 to $120,620 | 40 |
| Nevada | $64,390 | $60,080 to $82,990 | 230 |
| New Hampshire | $61,160 | $50,680 to $77,420 | 40 |
| New Jersey | $66,230 | $62,400 to $90,520 | 140 |
| New Mexico | $68,180 | $54,540 to $82,200 | 230 |
| New York | $67,220 | $48,590 to $104,420 | 120 |
| North Carolina | $73,130 | $62,260 to $95,620 | 200 |
| North Dakota | $63,830 | $47,160 to $75,910 | not published |
| Ohio | $59,160 | $48,170 to $62,250 | 70 |
| Oklahoma | $71,740 | $49,710 to $83,940 | 90 |
| Oregon | $84,970 | $73,920 to $105,780 | 240 |
| Pennsylvania | $79,660 | $60,090 to $88,370 | 130 |
| Puerto Rico | $70,950 | $45,330 to $86,260 | 40 |
| South Carolina | $63,130 | $53,870 to $83,780 | 50 |
| South Dakota | $63,130 | $51,860 to $79,600 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $60,310 | $50,490 to $76,920 | 160 |
| Texas | $67,700 | $61,080 to $82,070 | 430 |
| Utah | $73,920 | $60,980 to $86,260 | 120 |
| Virginia | $80,230 | $61,300 to $103,960 | 320 |
| Washington | $74,790 | $63,580 to $96,080 | 260 |
| West Virginia | $54,340 | $47,110 to $81,330 | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $63,130 | $52,990 to $78,210 | 40 |
| Wyoming | $76,400 | $63,900 to $88,790 | 80 |
Nationally: $70,770. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 22 of its 30 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents. | 0.04% |
| AI alone | Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology. | Not published |
| AI + software | Create data records for use in describing and analyzing social patterns and processes, using photography, videography, and audio recordings. | Not published |
| AI alone | Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, technology development, policy making, and program planning. | Not published |
See all 30 tasks
| AI alone | Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research. | Not published |
| AI + software | 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. | Not published |
| AI alone | Advise government agencies, private organizations, and communities regarding proposed programs, plans, and policies and their potential impacts on cultural institutions, organizations, and communities. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct participatory action research in communities and organizations to assess how work is done and to design work systems, technologies, and environments. | Not published |
| AI + software | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Develop intervention procedures, using techniques such as individual and focus group interviews, consultations, and participant observation of social interaction. | Not published |
| AI + software | Research, survey, or assess sites of past societies and cultures in search of answers to specific research questions. | Not published |
| AI alone | Formulate general rules that describe and predict the development and behavior of cultures and social institutions. | 0.01% |
| AI alone | Enhance the cultural sensitivity of elementary and secondary curricula and classroom interactions in collaboration with educators and teachers. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Study archival collections of primary historical sources to help explain the origins and development of cultural patterns. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Organize public exhibits and displays to promote public awareness of diverse and distinctive cultural traditions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record the exact locations and conditions of artifacts uncovered in diggings or surveys, using drawings and photographs as necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | Lead field training sites and train field staff, students, and volunteers in excavation methods. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop and test theories concerning the origin and development of past cultures. | Not published |
| AI + software | 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. | Not published |
| AI + software | Study objects and structures recovered by excavation to identify, date, and authenticate them and to interpret their significance. | Not published |
| AI + software | Compare findings from one site with archeological data from other sites to find similarities or differences. | Not published |
| AI + software | Describe artifacts' physical properties or attributes, such as the materials from which artifacts are made and their size, shape, function, and decoration. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Assess archeological sites for resource management, development, or conservation purposes and recommend methods for site protection. | Not published |
| Not much | Gather and analyze artifacts and skeletal remains to increase knowledge of ancient cultures. | Not published |
| AI + software | Consult site reports, existing artifacts, and topographic maps to identify archeological sites. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean, restore, and preserve artifacts. | Not published |
| Not much | Collect artifacts made of stone, bone, metal, and other materials, placing them in bags and marking them to show where they were found. | Not published |
| Not much | Participate in forensic activities, such as tooth and bone structure identification, in conjunction with police departments and pathologists. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 6 of the 30 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 30 tasks fall under 28 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #1 Gather information from physical or electronic sources
- #18 Research historical or social issues
- #20 Present research or technical information
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research historical or social issues | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Direct scientific or technical activities | |||
| Gather information from physical or electronic sources | |||
| Present research or technical information | |||
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Analyze biological or chemical substances or related data | |||
| Advise others on educational or vocational matters |
Show all 28 activities
| Coordinate with others to resolve problems | |||
| Research organizational behavior, processes, or performance | |||
| Advise others on legal or regulatory matters | |||
| Inspect characteristics or conditions of materials or products | |||
| Plan events or programs | |||
| Develop scientific or mathematical theories or models | |||
| Develop research plans or methodologies | |||
| Record images with photographic or audiovisual equipment | |||
| Clean workpieces, finished products, or other objects | |||
| Collect information about patients or clients | |||
| Mark materials or objects for identification | |||
| Coordinate activities with clients, agencies, or organizations | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Monitor environmental conditions | |||
| Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures | |||
| Prepare proposals or grant applications | |||
| Advise others on environmental sustainability or green practices | |||
| Develop systems or practices to mitigate or resolve environmental problems | |||
| Package objects | |||
| Collect environmental or biological samples |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer18%
- A document or report14%
- An analysis or summary12%
- Advice or a recommendation5%
- A plan or strategy3%
How they worked with Claude
31% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for anthropologists and archeologists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 3,617 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 7%
- 3 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary High -0.3% 6%
- 4 Chief Executives Very high +3.2% 4%
- 5 Education Administrators, Postsecondary High +1.8% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 3,973 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 2 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 8%
- 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 5%
- 4 Education Administrators, Postsecondary High +1.8% 3%
- 5 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary High -0.3% 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 5% some college
- 5% associate's
- 20% bachelor's
- 30% master's
- 40% research doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 20 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% high school
- 5% some college
- 1% associate's
- 40% bachelor's
- 33% master's
- 2% professional degree
- 14% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Miscellaneous social scientists and related workers” · 628 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Miscellaneous social scientists and related workers”
15 programs, such as Ancient Studies/Civilization, Classical and Ancient Studies, Other and Human Biology.
See all
- Ancient Studies/Civilization
- Classical and Ancient Studies, Other
- Human Biology
- Geoarcheaology
- Linguistics and Anthropology
- Anthropology, General
- Physical and Biological Anthropology
- Medical Anthropology
- Cultural Anthropology
- Forensic Anthropology
- Anthropology, Other
- Archeology
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Geography and Anthropology
- Medical/Health Humanities
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/19-3091.00