Salary of Forensic Anthropologists

Forensic anthropologists specialize in analyzing skeletal remains.

From assisting medical examiners to helping investigate war crimes, forensic anthropology applies the principles of physical and biological anthropology to the legal process. Forensic anthropologists specialize in skeletal remains, studying them to determine characteristics of the deceased such as age and gender as well as to determine the cause of death. Many forensic anthropologists work for universities, thus, their salaries are similar to those of other professors.

Average Salary

Pay Scale reported in December 2010 that forensic anthropologists earned salaries ranging from $40,872 to $71,931 a year. Top employers of forensic anthropologists include law enforcement agencies, medical research facilities, government agencies and universities.

Considerations

Few people practice forensic anthropology full-time, according to the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, which adds that most specialists in this field work full-time for universities or research institutions, consulting on cases when the need arises. Others work for nongovernmental organizations and special tribunals, investigating war crimes cases involving mass graves such as those found in Bosnia. These considerations affect the salaries earned by forensic specialists in anthropology.

Anthropology Salaries

Because many forensic anthropologists work as university faculty, it is important to examine those salaries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2008 that anthropologists earned a median annual salary of $53,910, with the middle 50 percent earning between $39,200 and $70,980 a year. The bureau added that anthropologists employed by the federal government earned an average of $88,302 a year.

Expert Insight

Forensic anthropologist Dr. A. Midori Albert of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington writes that there is no direct answer to the question of salary range for this profession. Factors such as employer, geographic location and an anthropologist's experience affect earnings.

Identification

The U.S. Department of the Navy is a significant employer of forensic anthropologists. This civilian job involves conducting forensic research to identify human skeletal remains from military sites. The salary for the position, based at an identification laboratory in Honolulu, Hawaii, ranges from $42,616 to $97,573 a year.

References

• Pay Scale: Salary Snapshot for Forensic Anthropologist Jobs
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Social Scientists
• Making the Difference: Hot Job of the Week -- Forensic Anthropologist
• University of North Carolina, Wilmington: Forensic Anthropology

Resources

• American Board of Forensic Anthropology