What Factors Affect an Archaeologist's Salary?

An archaeologist's salary usually is affected by various factors, only some of which can be directly controlled by the archaeologist. For instance, the level of college degree attained usually makes a big difference in the wage of an archaeologist, because more education often equals higher pay. Having years of experience also can greatly affect an archaeologist's salary, so it may take some time to earn a good living in this career. The average salary also changes depending on the type of employer and the job's location, so applicants are encouraged to pay attention to these factors when trying to find a job in archaeology.

One factor that affects an archaeologist's salary is the level of education attained. In general, those who have the highest level of education earn the highest salary, with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree usually being the best degree to get to earn the most. The second-best degree tends to be a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in archaeology. A Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in archaeology or a related subject usually earns the least amount of money in this career. Most archaeology jobs require at least an undergraduate degree but, in the rare case that an employee does not have one, he can expect to earn less than most formally educated archaeologists.

Of course, experience also often counts when calculating an archaeologist's salary. This is why those who are new to the career tend to earn the least money, especially when they obtain an entry-level position. Usually after about five years, the salary increases quite a bit; after 10 years, it typically goes up even more. Those who earn the most in this job usually are the people who have more than 20 years of experience, especially if they also have a higher level of education.

Two others factors that usually affect an archaeologist's salary are the type of employer and the job's location. For example, the best-paying employer tends to be federal governments, though state governments and private companies aren't far behind. In most cases, the employer offering the lowest archaeologist's salary tends to be the typical college, with nonprofit institutions often paying a similar wage. Aside from the type of employer, applicants should consider the location, because those based in major cities usually pay the most, because the cost of living is higher. Unless they can commute from smaller, cheaper areas, though, they may find the higher pay is negated by the higher prices they will pay when living in a major city.