Topic ID #5476 - posted 6/25/2009 7:09 AM
excavation
Archeology Wages
excavation
Great site. I'm a newbe here, so hello to all.
I'm currently thinking of doing an MA in Arch, I'm in my thirties, could anyone tell me what the average wage for a graduate in archeology is?
I heard that its just above minimum wage, surely this cant be right?
I'm currently thinking of doing an MA in Arch, I'm in my thirties, could anyone tell me what the average wage for a graduate in archeology is?
I heard that its just above minimum wage, surely this cant be right?
Post ID#14385 - replied 6/25/2009 7:38 AM
McBain05
Wages vary by region. A new MA is likely to start out as a Crew Chief, unless there is large amount of experience behind it. As a mercenary hopping from project to project, you can probably expect 15-18$ an hour if you are hired as a Crew Chief. Expect the lower end as a field technician. Again, this is regionally specific. Out West you tend to make a little more. Most of my experience is East of the Mississppi.
I have 10 years of experience and a Masters degree (with 8 of it after recieving the the MA) and I am in the upper half of 30k. Which in the grand scheme of the things is really low for normal folk; but about average for archaeologists in the private sector. (in the SE).
Hope that helps.
I have 10 years of experience and a Masters degree (with 8 of it after recieving the the MA) and I am in the upper half of 30k. Which in the grand scheme of the things is really low for normal folk; but about average for archaeologists in the private sector. (in the SE).
Hope that helps.
Post ID#14386 - replied 6/25/2009 8:27 AM
excavation
[quote:="McBain05"]Wages vary by region. A new MA is likely to start out as a Crew Chief, unless there is large amount of experience behind it. As a mercenary hopping from project to project, you can probably expect 15-18$ an hour if you are hired as a Crew Chief. Expect the lower end as a field technician. Again, this is regionally specific. Out West you tend to make a little more. Most of my experience is East of the Mississppi.
I have 10 years of experience and a Masters degree (with 8 of it after recieving the the MA) and I am in the upper half of 30k. Which in the grand scheme of the things is really low for normal folk; but about average for archaeologists in the private sector. (in the SE).
Hope that helps.
Many thanks for your kind reply, though I should have specified that I'm in Europe. The wage rates in the UK and Ireland would be my immediate concern.
I have done research on the net and latest figures I could get was for 2007 for the UK and Ireland and these were not overly promising.
Would you have any data with regards to this region?
I have 10 years of experience and a Masters degree (with 8 of it after recieving the the MA) and I am in the upper half of 30k. Which in the grand scheme of the things is really low for normal folk; but about average for archaeologists in the private sector. (in the SE).
Hope that helps.
Many thanks for your kind reply, though I should have specified that I'm in Europe. The wage rates in the UK and Ireland would be my immediate concern.
I have done research on the net and latest figures I could get was for 2007 for the UK and Ireland and these were not overly promising.
Would you have any data with regards to this region?
Post ID#14387 - replied 6/25/2009 8:45 AM
McBain05
Nah, man. I don't. There is a fellow on this board that does, though.
Post ID#14390 - replied 6/25/2009 10:16 AM
excavation
[quote:="McBain05"]Nah, man. I don't. There is a fellow on this board that does, though.
Talk about keeping me in suspense? Well who is this man?
Thanks
Talk about keeping me in suspense? Well who is this man?
Thanks
Post ID#14401 - replied 6/25/2009 4:54 PM
FireArch
Moderator
I would check in with BAJR and the IFA for more specific details to your query as they cover the areas of concern.
Best of luck
Best of luck
Post ID#14411 - replied 6/26/2009 5:43 AM
excavation
Thanks for that!
Post ID#14416 - replied 6/26/2009 4:42 PM
FireArch
Moderator
Links; just to make it easy to find:
IFA:
http://www.archaeologists.net/modules/tinycontent/index.php?id=1
BAJR:
http://www.bajr.org/
IFA:
http://www.archaeologists.net/modules/tinycontent/index.php?id=1
BAJR:
http://www.bajr.org/
Post ID#14951 - replied 8/10/2009 5:42 AM
BAJR
Thanks for that..
if you go to BAJR, and choose Resources... Guides.. you will get the latest recommended minimum from BAJR (the IfA are slightly less)
We are pushing for a minimum 15% rise over the next 4 years..
As I said once.. you ain't gonna get rich!
if you go to BAJR, and choose Resources... Guides.. you will get the latest recommended minimum from BAJR (the IfA are slightly less)
We are pushing for a minimum 15% rise over the next 4 years..
As I said once.. you ain't gonna get rich!
Post ID#15009 - replied 8/13/2009 7:07 AM
excavation
The proposed minimum 15% rise is good news.
Post ID#15011 - replied 8/13/2009 12:27 PM
cmarknicholson
We (mostly Scotty) did a wage study in 2008 and results are posted in the SAA record....
http://saa.org/Portals/0/SAA/Publications/thesaaarchrec/mar08.pdf
page 36
Hope this helps.
http://saa.org/Portals/0/SAA/Publications/thesaaarchrec/mar08.pdf
page 36
Hope this helps.
Post ID#15126 - replied 8/20/2009 5:04 AM
excavation
Thats great thanks. Nice work identifing the specific especially where Field Techs stand with regards to pay and benefits in the U.S.
Post ID#15683 - replied 10/12/2009 4:04 PM
Classarch
The only way anyone will make any kind of money in archaeology is to become a tenured professor! There is no where that a field archaeologist or even an archaeologist working for government agencies are going to make a lot of money. My aunt in Greece who has a Phd and been working for the Greek government is only making about 35K Euro a year!! :shock: Luckily for her, her husband is a Cardiologist and a politician. She once told me that if I wanted to do archaeology I should marry someone rich!
Funny story,
my mother, when she found out what career I wanted pursue, told my aunt and my aunt replied "Oh great, we have another crazy in the family!" Little did I know at that time how right she was! We must be to do this kind of work for such little pay. Who else would work so hard and yet get paid so little and have so few to no benefits? But, we don't do it for the money, we do it because we have a passion for the past!
Funny story,
my mother, when she found out what career I wanted pursue, told my aunt and my aunt replied "Oh great, we have another crazy in the family!" Little did I know at that time how right she was! We must be to do this kind of work for such little pay. Who else would work so hard and yet get paid so little and have so few to no benefits? But, we don't do it for the money, we do it because we have a passion for the past!
Post ID#15704 - replied 10/14/2009 7:44 PM
whatamIdoing
If you really want to make money in archaeology, I suggest working some jobs in both the private and public sector to get the varied experience, get your MA, work for an agency (the amount of responsibilities and things you'll handle as a GS9+ in the public sector is far, far greater than in the private sector) , and then jump into private contracting e.g. get yourself an LLC and start your own operation. That's where the $$$ is.
Post ID#15707 - replied 10/15/2009 5:40 AM
excavation
[quote:="Classarch"]The only way anyone will make any kind of money in archaeology is to become a tenured professor! There is no where that a field archaeologist or even an archaeologist working for government agencies are going to make a lot of money. My aunt in Greece who has a Phd and been working for the Greek government is only making about 35K Euro a year!! :shock: Luckily for her, her husband is a Cardiologist and a politician. She once told me that if I wanted to do archaeology I should marry someone rich!
Funny story,
my mother, when she found out what career I wanted pursue, told my aunt and my aunt replied "Oh great, we have another crazy in the family!" Little did I know at that time how right she was! We must be to do this kind of work for such little pay. Who else would work so hard and yet get paid so little and have so few to no benefits? But, we don't do it for the money, we do it because we have a passion for the past!
Yeah pay does'nt seem to be that good. The question is, surely, for professional work why does the pay not reflect this?
Funny story,
my mother, when she found out what career I wanted pursue, told my aunt and my aunt replied "Oh great, we have another crazy in the family!" Little did I know at that time how right she was! We must be to do this kind of work for such little pay. Who else would work so hard and yet get paid so little and have so few to no benefits? But, we don't do it for the money, we do it because we have a passion for the past!
Yeah pay does'nt seem to be that good. The question is, surely, for professional work why does the pay not reflect this?
Post ID#15724 - replied 10/16/2009 10:23 AM
Dwarmour
prob because people tend to over look archaeology as it is. It doesnt seem to be the most important thing on the food chain for developers. Then you get the low balling companies who ruin it for the other companies who do care about their employees.
Then you get into the matter that most of these companies don't know how to run a business and think that just being greedy and under-paying your workers is a way to make money and have your business grow.
Federal jobs, although i have never worked one, seem to be the only place where they pay your appropriately if not well.
Then you get into the matter that most of these companies don't know how to run a business and think that just being greedy and under-paying your workers is a way to make money and have your business grow.
Federal jobs, although i have never worked one, seem to be the only place where they pay your appropriately if not well.
Post ID#15728 - replied 10/16/2009 3:50 PM
Classarch
[quote:="whatamIdoing"]If you really want to make money in archaeology, I suggest working some jobs in both the private and public sector to get the varied experience, get your MA, work for an agency (the amount of responsibilities and things you'll handle as a GS9+ in the public sector is far, far greater than in the private sector) , and then jump into private contracting e.g. get yourself an LLC and start your own operation. That's where the $$$ is.
Well I am working on my Masters and have thought about opening a CRM firm with some close buddies, who I know have a passion for archaeology and have the required experience, to run it. I also have a potential financial backer for the initial investment. But that will be around a year + before that will be seriously considered. I have worked in the public sector for the forestry service and contracted for FEMA but the competition is so great and it can be somewhat cutthroat(FEMA).
Well I am working on my Masters and have thought about opening a CRM firm with some close buddies, who I know have a passion for archaeology and have the required experience, to run it. I also have a potential financial backer for the initial investment. But that will be around a year + before that will be seriously considered. I have worked in the public sector for the forestry service and contracted for FEMA but the competition is so great and it can be somewhat cutthroat(FEMA).
Post ID#15729 - replied 10/16/2009 3:55 PM
Classarch
[quote:="excavation"]Yeah pay does'nt seem to be that good. The question is, surely, for professional work why does the pay not reflect this?
Dwarmour pretty much hit it on the head. The trend several years ago appeared to be an improvement on the quality of the companies, quality of work and pay but in the past 1.5 years with the downturn in the economy and the large influx of recent grads in anthropology many companies realize that they have the upper hand again. So techs and crew chiefs become expendable and I hate to say it 'a dime a dozen.' Simply put, we are expendable.
Dwarmour pretty much hit it on the head. The trend several years ago appeared to be an improvement on the quality of the companies, quality of work and pay but in the past 1.5 years with the downturn in the economy and the large influx of recent grads in anthropology many companies realize that they have the upper hand again. So techs and crew chiefs become expendable and I hate to say it 'a dime a dozen.' Simply put, we are expendable.
Post ID#15740 - replied 10/18/2009 9:34 PM
FireArch
Moderator
If there were stringent standards, a test and a license needed, and huge fines for dorking up an archaeological/cultural resource - like there is for taking an endangered/protected species/habitat - then there would be a lot less folks in this business, both at the end of the shovel/survey line, and at the employer end of things, then we'd see some wage appreciation. But as there is no real penalty for doing poor archaeology or hiring people who dont know what they're doing, and as long as agency reviewers and SHPOs dont care that these things take place, there will be no real chance for change in the regime that we have. This problem is institutional, and that's where the change has to take place to fix it.
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