Salary of a Religious Archaeologist
Archaeologists attempt to uncover the material traces left by previous human civilizations. Religious archaeologists specialize in the location and documentation of artifacts related to worship and ritual. They work on archaeological digs to recover evidence, such as idols, headstones and religious icons, before transporting them to laboratories and museums for analysis. They then try to tease out theories about the role and form of religious rituals in ancient societies. Salary levels for the role are comparable with those for archaeologists specializing in other areas of research.
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Average Salary
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For the purposes of its May 2010 survey of national employment, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics classified religious archaeologists alongside their fellow practitioners specializing in other areas of archaeology, as well as their close colleagues anthropologists. It concluded that the mean annual salary across this professional grouping was $58,040, which equates to an hourly pay level of $27.90. Individuals in the top 10 percent earned a mean of over $89,440, while their contemporaries in the corresponding bottom bracket received less than $31,310 per year.
Salary by Industry
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The two sectors of the industry which employ the largest numbers of archaeologists are scientific research and development services, and the federal executive branch, according to the bureau’s report. It gave the mean yearly wages within these sectors as $50,840 and $71,940, respectively. Those working in academia – colleges, universities and professional schools – earned a mean of $49,250, slightly less than their colleagues employed as consultants, who received $50,300. Museums, historical sites and related institutions had a mean of $49,090, while positions within architectural, engineering and related services paid $60,220.
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Salary by Location
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The most lucrative location for an archaeologist to work in was District of Colombia, according to the bureau’s analysis. It listed the mean annual wage within D.C. as $92,570. Massachusetts and Hawaii were also reported to be comparatively lucrative locales for archaeologists and anthropologists, with respective yearly wages of $72,150 and $69,020. Arizona and Texas had comparable pay rates -- $51,720 and $49,290, respectively – while South Dakota was among the lowest-paying locations, at a mean of just $44,650.
Outlook
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The bureau predicts a 22-percent growth in employment opportunities for archaeologists over the decade from 2008 to 2018. This compares with an estimated growth rate of between 7 and 13 percent across all occupations in the country. Work as consultants will provide the most opportunities for practitioners, enabling them to apply their skills to a range of industries, while increased regulation concerning the preservation of artifacts in the face of construction will also raise demand for archaeologists’ services. As such, pay rates for the occupation should remain very competitive in the coming years.
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References
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