NATURE OF CAREER
What is Archeology? Archeologists are detectives of human history. They use scientific methods to study artifacts. By using clues from artifacts and the sites that hold artifacts, they try to recreate and interpret human cultures of the past. Archeologists have pieced together much of our knowledge of the past. Archeologists provide evidence on how human culture began, how we developed unique ways of adopting to our surroundings and how we've moved from simple to complex societies.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Archeologists work outside digging up artifacts. They travel around to particular settings, locations, and excavate or search for artifacts in an area. Archeologists dig in big groups.
SALARY
Archeologists earn between $23,000 to $52,000 annually. The lowest 10% earn $17,000, while the highest paid get around $71,000. Archeologists have a lot in common with historians. They both have a love of history. The only difference is archeologists discover it!
EDUCATION
An academic setting is where archeologists spend 90% of their time. Many are professors. There are about 7,000 archeologists in America, so job prospects are fair. They need a minimum of a master's degree to find employment in this field. There are not very many colleges that offer a degree in archeology, but a master's degree is sufficient to direct field crews. It is recommended to take courses in related areas, such as anthropology, geology or botany.
COLLEGES
The University of Missouri would be a good college for archeology majors. It has experienced a 75% increase in National Merit scholars since 1994. The freshmen return 89% of the time. The New York Times ranks University of Missouri in the top 10% of colleges in the nation.