Anthropologists and Archeologists
The occupation Anthropologists and Archeologists covers people who study the origin, development, and behavior of human beings. One core duty is to collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents. The strongest interest signal is Investigative (6.8 of 7), then Artistic (4.2) and Realistic, which gives it the code IAR. Plan on graduate school and often five years or more of related experience; O*NET labels this extensive preparation. Strength in writing, speaking, and reading comprehension helps most here. The job can ask you to teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology. It tends to suit people who want research, analysis and working through hard problems, and it offers little for anyone seeking leading, persuading and making business decisions.
What they do
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.
Main tasks
- Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.
- Teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology.
- Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences.
- 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.
- Create data records for use in describing and analyzing social patterns and processes, using photography, videography, and audio recordings.
- Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, technology development, policy making, and program planning.
Skills
- Writing
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Active Learning
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You want room to make something in your own way.
- You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
- You are comfortable relying on writing and speaking.
May not suit you if
- You lose interest when a job asks for long stretches of analysis.
- You want to lead people or run the business side. Enterprising rates 1.6 out of 7 here.
- You want to be working in the field within the next few years.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code IAR takes the three highest, and Investigative comes first here.
Preparation
Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Doctoral Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- American Indian Policy Specialist
- Applied Anthropologist
- Applied Cultural Anthropologist
- Archaeologist
- Communication and Folklore Specialist
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.