Archaeological Technician
Impact: Knowledge creation, Cultural preservation
Assists archaeologists in the systematic recovery and examination of material evidence from past human cultures, performing hands-on fieldwork, excavation, artifact sorting, and detailed documentation of findings.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- 60% Team / 40% Solo
- Client facing
- Rarely
- Impact visibility
- Moderate
- Travel
- 20-40% domestic for fieldwork
- Schedule flexibility
- Structured
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 40-50 hours/week
- Stress level
- Moderate
At a glance
- Median salary
- $54,471
- Entry-level
- $45,000 - $55,000
- Senior
- $65,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 6% (as fast as average)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- Moderate
- Salary growth potential
- Moderate to 30-45% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- $10,000 - $25,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Archaeological Excavation
- GIS Software
- Data Documentation
- Artifact Identification
- Field Survey
- Photography
Soft skills
- Attention to Detail
- Problem-Solving
- Teamwork
- Observation
- Adaptability
- Communication
Technical complexity: Moderate
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Certificate or Vocational Training
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 3-5 years
- Years to senior
- 7-10 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Archaeological Technician
- Field Supervisor
- Project Archaeologist
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 15% to low risk due to hands-on fieldwork and interpretive tasks
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 3.2/10
- Meaning
- 3.8/10
- Work-life balance
- 3/10
- Prestige
- 5.5/10
- Social perception
- Moderate