21 Anthropologist Jobs to Consider

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Updated March 26, 2025

Anthropology is the study of human cultures and societies and their development. If you are interested in this area, there are many anthropology careers that you can explore. It's important to understand your options to find the one that best meets your career goals. In this article, we explore a list of careers in anthropology to help you determine your ideal career path.

21 jobs you can get with an anthropology degree

Many factors such as your interests, abilities, personal values and graduate training, will influence your career options if you get an anthropology degree. However, here are some anthropologist jobs to consider. For current salary information from Indeed, click on the links.

1. Museum conservator

National average salary: $14.99 per hourPrimary duties: A museum conservator is responsible for documenting, restoring and preserving artifacts that are on display in museum exhibits. They use physical and chemical tests to determine the age and composition of different artifacts. They also figure out how to preserve the items and estimate how much it will cost to restore them. A conservator also trains and teaches museum technicians and curators, provides research assistance and gives tours to museum visitors.

2. Journalist

National average salary:$41,431 per yearPrimary duties: A journalist informs the public of current events. They may attend business conferences, political events or crime scenes to report a story to the public. They research public databases and records to find information to support articles and interview witnesses to add a level of personalization to each piece. They also write articles and journal excerpts that provide readers with a unique view of the event and identify topics and develop content for news reporters.Read more: Learn About Being a Journalist

3. Career counselor

National average salary: $45,844 per yearPrimary duties: A career counselor helps clients plan their careers and attain their employment goals. They teach clients various strategies on how to find new or different employment successfully. They help clients assess their career skills, interests and values, review career options and envision a career path. They also use a range of tools, including personality tests, interest inventories, assessment exercises and client interviews, to help clients identify suitable job options to consider.Read more: Learn About Being a Guidance Counselor

4. Interpreter

National average salary: $46,852 per yearPrimary duties: Interpreters facilitate communication by converting spoken messages from one language to another. They act as a facilitator between people with diverse speaking tempos, accents and voices. They also interpret with no additions or omissions and provide translations of explanations, statements, answers and questions.

5. Program coordinator

National average salary:$48,865 per yearPrimary duties: A program coordinator handles administrative and human resources tasks. They organize, implement and execute a company's or organization's programs. They determine and implement policies and procedures, maintain program budgets, schedule employees as necessary to execute programs and organize and maintain a program agenda. They also manage internal and external communications related to programming.Read more: Learn About Being a Program Coordinator

6. High school teacher

National average salary: $53,712 per yearPrimary duties: A high school teacher plans and teaches lessons to classrooms of varying sizes. They may also do individual mentoring or teach small groups, depending on the needs of their students. A high school teacher often specializes in one or two subjects, usually teaching multiple classes within their specialty subject over the course of a day. They also evaluate students' performance, grade tests and prepare students for state tests.Read more: Learn About Being a High School Teacher

7. College professor

National average salary: $61,014 per yearPrimary duties: A college professor works at a higher education institution. They design a course curriculum, create supplemental instructional materials, instruct students in their academic specialization and accurately evaluate students' progress. They also regularly conduct research in their area of interest and publish books and articles to build their academic reputation.

8. Museum curator

National average salary: $62,023 per yearPrimary duties: Museum curators are responsible for curating exhibits, collections and other artifacts that will be displayed at the museum. They record and catalog documents, artworks and artifacts and plan the installation and presentation of exhibitions and collections in the museum. They also care for collections and acquisitions to ensure the maintenance of condition and value as well as organize and oversee documentation as it relates to artifacts that are brought into the museum.Read more: Learn About Becoming a Curator

9. Lawyer

National average salary:$93,223 per yearPrimary duties: Lawyers help businesses and individuals navigate the legal process. They often specialize in particular areas such as criminal, tax and family law. The duties of a lawyer vary depending on their specialty, but they usually include attending trials, hearings and other legal meetings with clients. They also work with police, investigators, paralegals and clients to prepare comprehensive cases for trials and mediations, including collecting pieces of evidence and preparing legal documents.Read more: Learn About Being a Lawyer

10. Technical writer

National average salary: $74,296 per yearPrimary duties: Technical writers create documents about complicated subjects that are easy to for users to understand. They write journal articles, guides, manuals or other types of supporting documentation. They usually work for companies to create, organize and distribute technical documents. Other duties of a technical writer include determining the best type of documentation for a project, conducting research to gather information, working with technical professionals to understand procedures and products and reviewing the work of other technical writers.Read more: Learn About Being a Technical Writer

11. Organizational development specialist

National average salary: $56,791 per year Primary duties: An organizational development specialist creates, coordinates and leads programs that help an organization or company improve its productivity. They collect information from employees about their processes and roles, write detailed reports of their findings and create recommendations for improving organizational effectiveness.

12. Librarian

National average salary: $56,415 per yearPrimary duties: A librarian organizes vast amounts of physical and digital information and assists people in finding the information they need. They manage periodicals, books, video and audio recordings and digital resources, including cataloging, organization and storage. They also manage specialized documents, manuscripts and records and maintain library systems, including databases and physical and digital methods of record-keeping and organization.Read more: Learn About Being a Librarian

13. Social worker

National average salary: $58,939 per yearPrimary duties: A social worker helps individuals and families cope with a variety of challenges, including disabilities, terminal illness, addiction, debilitating injuries and trauma. They evaluate their clients' needs based on their current situation and communicate with them to help them address their problems and work toward their life goals with a positive mindset. They also sometimes collaborate with occupational and physical therapists to ensure the comfort of patients while building and implementing care plans for them.Read more: Learn About Being a Social Worker

14. Forensic scientist

National average salary: $63,220 per yearPrimary duties: A forensic scientist works with the justice system and law enforcement personnel to study psychological, chemical, biological and physical evidence for crimes. Using the clues they find, they try to discover further details and figure out what happened in cases related to regulatory, criminal and civil matters. They may carry out their investigation at the crime scene or review the evidence in a laboratory, write a detailed analysis of their findings and sometimes attest in court about the matter.

15. Archivist

National average salary: $57,647 per yearPrimary duties: An archivist appraises and researches documents and records to determine their importance and potential value. They then preserve and catalog these materials so researchers, professionals and the general public can access them in the future. Other duties of an archivist include liaising with depositors and donors of archives, advising and supporting users on how best to interpret, use and access archives and prepare record-keeping systems and procedures for archival research, which may include the destruction or retention of records.

16. Certified records manager

National average salary: $69,704 per yearPrimary duties: A certified records manager sets up and maintains a company's records and related systems. They are responsible for everything related to the use, storage and disposal of a company's records and information. They may set up systems for managing physical or electronic records and improve existing processes to make them more efficient. They also ensure that all employees are following standard procedures in disposing of and storing records.

17. Human resource manager

National average salary: $78,321 per yearPrimary duties: A human resource (HR) manager recruits, interviews and hires new employees as well as serves as the link between the company's management and employees. They also develop and implement plans and procedures, such as personnel policies, and oversee the work of the HR department. They also analyze and update the company's salary budget and develop HR department goals and objectives.Read more: Learn About Being an HR Manager

18. Environmental scientist

National average salary: $63,119 per yearPrimary duties: An environmental scientist applies scientific methodology and research to study and address environmental problems such as sustainability, conservation, pollution and resource replenishment. They develop plans to protect the environment by removing these hazards or mitigating their harmful effects. They also conduct program research, planning and development, compliance monitoring, permitting, inspections and technical support services in relation to waste, water, air, mining, correction action, biology, federal facilities and other environmental programs.

19. Historian

National average salary: $67,573 per yearPrimary duties: A historian studies and writes about past events, such as social movements, military conflicts and political milestones. They collect and evaluate information from different sources to answer questions and learn more about specific events in history. They also analyze historical artifacts, written records and other types of evidence and prepare reports explaining what they found and discussing the significance of those findings.

20. Market research analyst

National average salary: $78,645 per yearPrimary duties: A market research analyst helps companies and organizations figure out what to sell, to whom to market their services and products and how to promote them. To help companies make these decisions, a market research analyst designs surveys that discover the preferences of potential customers. They then train and oversee interviewers who carry out the surveys online, by phone or through in-person interviews with focus groups or individuals.Read more: Learn About Being an Analyst

21. Economist

National average salary: $111,940 per yearPrimary duties: An economist analyzes the relationship between a country and how it uses its resources. They focus on identifying the correlation between a nation or community's resources and the production created from those resources in order to forecast future trends for business and government reasons. They also provide expert opinions that are used in a range of settings, including in international trade agreements, policies, organizational strategies and tax laws. They use mathematical methods and models to analyze various kinds of economic data.

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