Anthropologists and archeologists
SOC Code: 19-3091
Anthropologists and archeologists carries a 36% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $64,910 and +3.7% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 8,800 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 36% AI exposure, Anthropologists and archeologists sits 1 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 56% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
57/100
Anthropologists and archeologists, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage C+ $64,910
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth C+ +3.7%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) D 36% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Anthropologists and archeologists in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Graduate credential among the thinner entry shelves
Anthropologists and archeologists is in the Graduate band (113 of 832) with BLS pace Average (378/832). Graduate entry is a minority shelf - pairing it with average growth is the standing that separates this SOC from bachelor-dominated neighbors.
Where Anthropologists and archeologists sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Anthropologists and archeologists sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
36% Around the middle lower than 44% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Anthropologists and archeologists vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Anthropologists and archeologists is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Anthropologists and archeologists's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 19-3091) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Anthropologists and archeologists be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Anthropologists and archeologists. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.
- 2. Teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology.
- 3. Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences.
- 4. Plan and direct research to characterize and compare the economic, demographic, health care, social, political, linguistic, and religious institutions of distinct cultural groups, communities, and organizations.
- 5. Record the exact locations and conditions of artifacts uncovered in diggings or surveys, using drawings and photographs as necessary.
- 6. Create data records for use in describing and analyzing social patterns and processes, using photography, videography, and audio recordings.
- 7. Assess archeological sites for resource management, development, or conservation purposes and recommend methods for site protection.
- 8. Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, technology development, policy making, and program planning.
- 9. Gather and analyze artifacts and skeletal remains to increase knowledge of ancient cultures.
- 10. Identify culturally specific beliefs and practices affecting health status and access to services for distinct populations and communities, in collaboration with medical and public health officials.
Key Skills Required
- Writing
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Complex Problem Solving
- Monitoring
- Learning Strategies
- Instructing
Knowledge Areas
- Sociology and Anthropology
- English Language
- History and Archeology
- Foreign Language
- Education and Training
- Geography
- Communications and Media
- Philosophy and Theology
- Computers and Electronics
- Psychology
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Anthropologists and archeologists?
Anthropologists and archeologists has an AI exposure score of 36%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Anthropologists and archeologists?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Anthropologists and archeologists is projected to grow by 3.7% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 8,800 workers.
What skills are needed for Anthropologists and archeologists?
Key skills for Anthropologists and archeologists include Writing, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and others. Typical entry-level education is Master's degree.
How much do Anthropologists and archeologists earn?
The median annual wage for Anthropologists and archeologists is $64,910, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Anthropologists and archeologists?
The typical entry-level education for Anthropologists and archeologists is Master's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Anthropologists and archeologists?
Anthropologists and archeologists roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Anthropologists and archeologists: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (36% here).
- Amusement and recreation attendants · AI exposure 36%
- Communications teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 36%
- Computer network support specialists · AI exposure 36%
- Computer numerically controlled tool operators · AI exposure 36%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+3.7% here).
- Chemical technicians · growth +3.7%
- First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors · growth +3.7%
- Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks · growth +3.7%
- Insurance sales agents · growth +3.7%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 30 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Anthropologists and archeologists' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Anthropologists and archeologists side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).