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Archeologist - Federal Salaries of 2022
Pay Rates for "Archeologist"
How much does an Archeologist in the federal government get paid? $81,086.71* *Based on the 2022 average.Archeologist was the 160th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2022, with 1,078 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.
In 2022, the Forest Service hired the most employees titled Archeology, with an average salary of $76,615.
Government Archeology jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. The minimum paygrade for a Archeology job is GS-6, and the highest paygrade that can be attained within this job series is GS-15. Remember that the starting and maximum yearly pay listed above reflect base pay only - your actual salary will be higher based on the Locality Pay Adjustment for the area in which you work.
This occupation includes positions that involve professional work in archeology, the scientific study of past human activities through the physical remains of life and past human activities. The work may include research, field investigations, laboratory analysis, library research, interpretation or consultative work, preparation of reports for publication, curation and exhibition of collections, or development and implementation of programs and projects which carry out such work. Such work requires a knowledge of professional archeological principles, theories, concepts, methods, and techniques.
Agencies that have hired an Archeologist
| Agency | Employees Hired | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 390 | $76,614.55 |
| National Park Service | 247 | $82,597.51 |
| Bureau of Land Management | 218 | $77,332.13 |
| Natural Resources Conservation Service | 85 | $80,011.13 |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 36 | $83,524.67 |
| Department of Energy | 21 | $102,647.14 |
| Indian Affairs | 21 | $92,523.76 |
| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 20 | $97,721.45 |
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | 9 | $93,099.67 |
| Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | 8 | $124,138.75 |
| Bureau of Ocean Energy Management | 6 | $109,615.50 |
| Smithsonian Institution (Exchange Sep Boards of Trust) | 5 | $134,366.40 |
| Rural Housing Service | 4 | $107,803.25 |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | 2 | $97,795.00 |
| Presidio Trust | 2 | $100,260.50 |
| Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement | 1 | $117,908.00 |
| Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement | 1 | $87,301.00 |
| Fpac Business Center | 1 | $118,808.00 |
| Federal Highway Administration | 1 | $99,079.00 |
Archeologist Pay Distribution
The average pay for an Archeologist is $81,086.71. The highest paid Archeologist made $199,647 in 2022.
Common Archeologist Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Archeology Employees |
|---|---|
| GS - General Schedule | 1,064 |
| IC - Employees Holding Incident Management Cadre Of On-call Response/recovery Employees(core)positions | 9 |
| ZP - Scientific And Engineering Professional | 2 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified | 2 |
| SL - Senior Level Positions | 1 |
| Starting Paygrade: | $36,070.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-6, Step 1 |
| Maximum Paygrade: | $152,771.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-15, Step 10 |
| Category: | Professional and Scientific |
| Occupation Family: | 0100 SOCIAL SCIENCE, PSYCHOLOGY, AND WELFARE GROUP |
Other Jobs at the GS-6 Paygrade
GS-6 is the starting paygrade for Archeology jobs. Here are some other Federal Government jobs that can be held by employees at the GS-6 paygrade.
| Occupation | Occupation Category | Starting Paygrade | Maximum Paygrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Records Technician | Clerical and Administrative Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Internal Revenue Officer | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
| Emergency Management | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
| Physics | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
| Telecommunications | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
Average Archeology Pay Trend from 2004 to 2022
In 2004, the average pay for an Archeologist was $56,791. Since then, the average pay has increased to $81,087 in 2022.
Data Sources
The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.
Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.
The series code of this occupation is 0193.