Anthropology is a multidisciplinary study using techniques, knowledge, and methods from natural and physical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, history, and humanities. This diversity of study provides the student with a diverse knowledge base about humanity from a biological and social perspective.
Anthropology includes four main fields: cultural, biological, archaeology, and linguistic. Within these four fields there are sub-fields such as medical anthropology, forensic anthropology, ethnobotany, historic preservation and more.
The wide breadth of knowledge derived from anthropological studies has become a valued commodity among employers. Students at Northeastern get to experience simulated remain digs and practice mapping dig sites in their first two years of college. These are experiences most four-year schools will not provide until the third or fourth year of study.
The Anthropology program is also a degree with designation, meaning, upon graduation, the student will be accepted as a third year student in the four-year schools in Colorado.
Northeastern provides a unique learning environment for Anthropology students. The program mixes both traditional methods and techniques to modern technology. The hands on approach to education provides students with real world scenarios such as: excavation and analysis of a pig for forensic anthropology, attending a Pow Wow, cultural dinners, field trips, field schools, and much more. Much of the lecture material presented in class is done so in an open discussion covering all aspects of the topic.
The opportunities for a graduate with a degree in Anthropology are actually limitless. The work environment for an anthropologist is mostly derived from the chosen focus of study. Archaeologists will find themselves in work environments ranging from the mining ghost towns of the Rockies to the Paleolithic caves of France. Cultural anthropologists are be found all over the world, in corporate office environments, South American rain forests, or even remote places such as Antarctica. Biological anthropologists can be found studying chimpanzees in Africa, collecting fossils in Asia, analyzing human remains at a crime scene, or possibly at the base camp of Everest studying high altitude adaptation. Linguistic anthropologists could be in positions such studying language change in New York, preserving native languages in Polynesia, or researching how our language frames how humans perceive the world. All of these fields of study in anthropology often propel a student toward the career they discover their passion for.
Students in the Anthropology program at Northeastern have a wide range of supplies and tools to learn with over the course of their study. Some of the technology includes a computing tablet, photographic equipment, GPS technology, aerial photography, drones, and laser measuring tools. In addition to current technology, anthropology students learn to use traditional tools of the trade, such as brushes and trowels, measurement calipers, compasses, topographical maps, dissection tools, and de-fleshing chemicals, among many others.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of anthropologists and archeologists is projected to grow 4 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 700 openings for anthropologists and archeologists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Corporations will continue to use anthropological research to gain a better understanding of consumer demand within specific cultures or social groups. Anthropologists also will be needed to analyze markets, allowing businesses to serve their clients better or to target new customers or demographic groups.
Archeologists will be needed to ensure that builders, museums, and other organizations comply with federal regulations pertaining to the preservation and handling of archeological and historical artifacts.
Because anthropological and archeological research may depend on research funding, federal budgetary decisions can affect the rate of employment growth in research.
Education/Outreach
Administration/Management
Archaeology
Ethnography/Cultural Anthropology
Cultural Resource Management (CRM)
Evaluation/Assessment
Historic Preservation
Health (international/public health)
Museum/Curation/Project Design
Environment and Natural Resources
Community Development
Business
Advocacy (human rights/social justice)
Tourism/Heritage
Human/Social Services
Healthcare Management/Services/Deliver
Computers/Software Development/Information Technology
Management Consulting/Organizational Development/Training
Design (products and/or services)
Social Impact Assessment
International Development/Affairs
Market Research
Forensics
Law/Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement
Mass Communication
Humanitarian Efforts
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median annual wage for anthropologists and archeologists was $63,940 in May 2022. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $40,260, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $100,560.
In May 2022, the median annual wages for anthropologists and archeologists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Federal government, excluding postal service | $83,870 |
| Engineering services | 70,100 |
| Management, scientific, and technical consulting services | 59,420 |
| Research and development in the social sciences and humanities | 57,690 |
Many anthropologists and archeologists work full time. When doing fieldwork, they may be required to travel and to work irregular schedules, including long hours, evenings, and weekends.
