What can you do with an Anthropology Degree?

Anthropologists work in a wide array of fields and careers.

Salary

In 2017, the median pay for anthropologists and archaeologists was $62,280 per year or $29.94 per hour. Employment is projected to increase by 4% from 2016-2026.
A Master’s degree or a Ph.D. in anthropology or archaeology is required for higher paying employment, but entry-level positions with a B.A. are available. (Citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Anthropologists and Archaeologists.)

The American Anthropological Association summarizes four main career paths:

Careers

Academic

Corporate & Business

Government

Non-profit

Academic anthropologists work in elementary education or as professors in university programs such as medicine, public health, cultural studies, biology, cognitive psychology, and linguistics.

Corporate anthropologists work in market research, tourism/heritage, management consulting, healthcare management, and social impact assessment, as well as many other types of businesses.

Anthropologists may work in contract archaeology, also known as cultural resource management, in planning, in police departments, as forensic anthropologists, and in international development. The federal government employs many anthropologists.

Anthropologists may work for many non-governmental organizations such as museums, zoos and animal sanctuaries, international health organizations, advocate groups (human rights/social justice), in humanitarian efforts, environmental organizations, in cultural resource management, and historic preservation.

I work in public health at a NCI designated cancer center. In order to be successful in my position, I need to understand different cultures, perspectives, and an understanding of science. My undergraduate degree in Anthropology from FGCU prepared me with this foundation to be a successful manager in a research setting. I look back at my experience in this program fondly and would recommend it to any public health professional. ~ Nina Nass, Manager Division of Population Science, Moffitt Cancer Center

Employment

General

Non-profit

Archaeology

Museum

Anthropology Careers & Employment

Federal Government

AmeriCorps - Corporation for National & Community Service

Bridgestar

Idealist

Community Career Center

ShovelBums

Archaeology Fieldwork

American Alliance of Museum

Museum Employment Resource Center

Smithsonian

Experiential Learning

Field Schools

Recent Study Abroad

Archaeological Field School offered in the summer every other year; locations vary.
Primatological Field School offered at the Lemur Conservation Foundation in Florida every other spring.

Folklore of Ireland
Museum studies in Croatia