Education & Library
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary
Also called: Anthropology Department Chair, Anthropology Instructor, Anthropology Lecturer, Anthropology Professor
US median pay
$99,650
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+2.6%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
400
6,500 employed
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
Teach courses in anthropology or archeology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
What they do day to day
- Advise students on academic and vocational curricula, career issues, and laboratory and field research.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as research methods, urban anthropology, and language and culture.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and present findings in professional journals, books, electronic media, or at professional conferences.
- Supervise students' laboratory or field work.
- Conduct ethnographic field research.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Instructing4.5/5
- Time Management3.8/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.6/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.5/5
- Coordination3.2/5
- Systems Evaluation3.1/5
- Systems Analysis3.1/5
Knowledge
- Sociology and Anthropology5.0/5
- History and Archeology4.5/5
- English Language4.4/5
- Education and Training4.1/5
- Geography3.8/5
- Philosophy and Theology3.6/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Doctoral or professional degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Doctoral degree68%
- Master's degree18%
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Artistic
Creating, designing and self-expression
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.