How much does a Project Archaeologist make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Project Archaeologist in the United States is $56,010 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $27.
However, a Project Archaeologist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $67,806
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $50,042 to $62,184
Key Factors That Influence Project Archaeologist Salaries
A Project Archaeologist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Project Archaeologist Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Project Archaeologist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Project Archaeologist Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Project Archaeologists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $62,014.
California: $61,779.
Massachusetts: $60,956.
District of Columbia$62,014
California$61,779
Massachusetts$60,956
Washington$60,732
New Jersey$60,709
Alaska$60,631
Connecticut$59,858
New York$59,544
Hawaii$58,542
Rhode Island$58,071
Maryland$57,752
Minnesota$57,315
Colorado$57,147
Illinois$57,091
Oregon$56,878
Delaware$56,721
New Hampshire$56,623
Virginia$56,402
Pennsylvania$55,758
Nevada$55,433
North Dakota$55,327
Michigan$55,159
Wisconsin$55,097
Vermont$54,974
Texas$54,632
Maine$54,610
Arizona$54,576
Ohio$54,537
Georgia$54,022
Indiana$53,764
Wyoming$53,713
Utah$53,635
Iowa$53,601
Kansas$53,333
Louisiana$53,254
North Carolina$53,226
Missouri$53,215
Florida$52,997
Montana$52,879
Nebraska$52,767
Kentucky$52,705
South Carolina$52,481
Tennessee$52,341
Idaho$52,285
New Mexico$51,876
Oklahoma$51,787
Alabama$51,456
South Dakota$50,902
Arkansas$50,599
West Virginia$50,437
Mississippi$49,950
Top Paying Cities for Project Archaeologists
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $70,645
San Francisco: $69,872
Oakland: $68,399
San Jose, CA$70,645
San Francisco, CA$69,872
Oakland, CA$68,399
New York, NY$64,489
Paramus, NJ$63,705
Queens Village, NY$63,702
Passaic, NJ$63,649
Bergenfield, NJ$63,644
Stamford, CT$63,521
Huntington, NY$63,498
Newark, NJ$63,084
Bridgeport, CT$62,966
Vallejo, CA$62,854
New Brunswick, NJ$62,832
Petaluma, CA$62,798
Middlesex, NJ$62,692
Somerset, NJ$62,653
Santa Cruz, CA$62,580
Boston, MA$62,238
Monterey, CA$62,042
Seattle, WA$61,913
Santa Rosa, CA$61,902
Los Angeles, CA$61,885
Juneau, AK$61,740
Washington, DC$61,678
Orange, CA$61,479
Santa Ana, CA$61,331
Long Beach, CA$61,275
Anaheim, CA$61,264
Anchorage, AK$61,236
Santa Maria, CA$61,068
Everett, WA$61,056
Danbury, CT$60,859
Bremerton, WA$60,782
Tacoma, WA$60,580
New Suffolk, NY$60,579
Sacramento, CA$60,564
Santa Barbara, CA$60,502
Trenton, NJ$60,440
San Diego, CA$60,440
Brockton, MA$60,379
Fairbanks, AK$60,241
Lompoc, CA$60,099
Lowell, MA$60,053
Ventura, CA$60,043
Nashua, NH$60,031
Stockton, CA$60,026
Modesto, CA$59,617
Poughkeepsie, NY$59,494
Olympia, WA$59,387
Kennewick, WA$59,387
New Haven, CT$59,365
Lawrence, MA$59,163
Hartford, CT$59,107
Riverside, CA$59,096
New Bedford, MA$59,040
Richland, WA$59,040
Bakersfield, CA$58,962
San Bernardino, CA$58,939
New Britain, CT$58,934
Atlantic City, NJ$58,934
New London, CT$58,911
Norwich, CT$58,894
Portsmouth, NH$58,883
Boulder, CO$58,764
Portland, OR$58,687
Worcester, MA$58,682
Minneapolis, MN$58,508
Philadelphia, PA$58,430
Honolulu, HI$58,245
Saint Paul, MN$58,218
Vineland, NJ$58,205
Providence, RI$58,043
Chicago, IL$57,881
Bellingham, WA$57,813
Springfield, MA$57,769
Baltimore, MD$57,752
Chico, CA$57,612
Pittsfield, MA$57,461
Manchester, NH$57,354
Spokane, WA$57,108
Denver, CO$57,102
Albany, NY$56,839
Troy, NY$56,816
Nassau, NY$56,757
Schenectady, NY$56,699
Wilmington, DE$56,654
Burlington, VT$56,576
Salem, OR$56,553
Portland, ME$56,380
Yakima, WA$56,324
Rochester, MN$56,150
Reno, NV$56,122
Fresno, CA$56,122
Milwaukee, WI$56,072
Detroit, MI$56,016
Ann Arbor, MI$56,006
Allentown, PA$55,999
Colorado Springs, CO$55,903
Syracuse, NY$55,875
Carson City, NV$55,875
Houston, TX$55,797
Eugene, OR$55,769
Gary, IN$55,702
Springfield, OR$55,657
Bismarck, ND$55,646
Galveston, TX$55,607
Medford, OR$55,523
Fort Collins, CO$55,500
Concord, NH$55,472
Austin, TX$55,455
Mesa, AZ$55,338
Reading, PA$55,332
Phoenix, AZ$55,327
Dallas, TX$55,310
Saint Cloud, MN$55,256
Madison, WI$55,181
Utica, NY$55,030
Rochester, NY$54,940
Des Moines, IA$54,935
Raleigh, NC$54,929
Atlanta, GA$54,845
Battle Creek, MI$54,828
Salt Lake City, UT$54,811
Lancaster, PA$54,727
Harrisburg, PA$54,649
Kansas City, MO$54,593
Champaign, IL$54,582
Kansas City, KS$54,582
Fort Worth, TX$54,576
Columbus, OH$54,567
Boca Raton, FL$54,554
Pittsburgh, PA$54,531
Richmond, VA$54,509
Indianapolis, IN$54,498
Cleveland, OH$54,492
Las Vegas, NV$54,425
Cincinnati, OH$54,425
Petersburg, VA$54,341
Huntsville, AL$54,257
Lansing, MI$54,219
Lebanon, PA$54,212
Pueblo, CO$54,206
Appleton, WI$54,190
Buffalo, NY$54,167
Dayton, OH$54,150
Racine, WI$54,139
Charlotte, NC$54,134
Saint Louis, MO$54,117
York, PA$54,083
Elkhart, IN$54,083
Gastonia, NC$54,073
Billings, MT$54,059
Beaumont, TX$54,044
Lorain, OH$54,033
Benton Harbor, MI$54,022
Toledo, OH$54,010
Binghamton, NY$53,982
Rock Hill, SC$53,977
Rockford, IL$53,949
Springfield, IL$53,926
Elyria, OH$53,921
Fargo, ND$53,921
Flagstaff, AZ$53,882
Fort Lauderdale, FL$53,848
Duluth, MN$53,814
Miami, FL$53,814
Cheyenne, WY$53,775
Grand Forks, ND$53,775
Bangor, ME$53,652
Cedar Rapids, IA$53,590
Durham, NC$53,567
Louisville, KY$53,562
Grand Rapids, MI$53,551
Hialeah, FL$53,545
Casper, WY$53,467
Scranton, PA$53,400
New Orleans, LA$53,383
Virginia Beach, VA$53,377
Akron, OH$53,349
Peoria, IL$53,277
Sarasota, FL$53,265
Nashville, TN$53,226
Omaha, NE$53,226
Green Bay, WI$53,226
Baton Rouge, LA$53,198
Charleston, SC$53,187
Jamestown, NY$53,159
Davenport, IA$53,159
Tucson, AZ$53,131
Saint Petersburg, FL$53,097
Tampa, FL$53,086
Evansville, IN$53,053
Port Arthur, TX$53,053
Bradenton, FL$53,030
Santa Fe, NM$52,929
Orlando, FL$52,829
Clearwater, FL$52,812
Canton, OH$52,694
La Crosse, WI$52,694
Albuquerque, NM$52,661
Newport News, VA$52,655
High Point, NC$52,638
Ogden, UT$52,616
Corpus Christi, TX$52,571
Norfolk, VA$52,537
Laramie, WY$52,537
Rock Island, IL$52,504
Saginaw, MI$52,492
Jacksonville, FL$52,487
Salisbury, NC$52,476
Boise, ID$52,464
Moline, IL$52,436
Fort Myers, FL$52,420
Memphis, TN$52,408
Tulsa, OK$52,380
Waterloo, IA$52,347
Spartanburg, SC$52,291
Lincoln, NE$52,263
Fort Wayne, IN$52,252
Provo, UT$52,246
Cedar Falls, IA$52,179
San Antonio, TX$52,156
Greensboro, NC$52,134
South Bend, IN$52,128
Savannah, GA$52,067
Muskegon, MI$52,044
Birmingham, AL$52,039
Winston Salem, NC$52,011
Lake Charles, LA$51,876
Anderson, IN$51,865
Lexington, KY$51,848
Augusta, GA$51,832
Greenville, SC$51,832
Lima, OH$51,787
Wichita, KS$51,781
Tuscaloosa, AL$51,781
Columbia, SC$51,731
Springfield, OH$51,720
Asheville, NC$51,630
Bloomington, IN$51,591
Knoxville, TN$51,389
Shreveport, LA$51,383
Wilmington, NC$51,311
Roanoke, VA$51,311
Topeka, KS$51,210
Frankfort, KY$51,204
Oklahoma City, OK$51,165
Chillicothe, OH$51,143
Longview, TX$51,137
Melbourne, FL$51,131
Sioux Falls, SD$51,042
Mobile, AL$51,036
Terre Haute, IN$51,014
Altoona, PA$50,980
Amarillo, TX$50,941
Killeen, TX$50,924
Fayetteville, AR$50,879
Chattanooga, TN$50,863
Sioux City, IA$50,812
Idaho Falls, ID$50,801
Lynchburg, VA$50,756
Gainesville, FL$50,683
Portsmouth, OH$50,655
Little Rock, AR$50,644
Lafayette, LA$50,622
Youngstown, OH$50,622
Daytona Beach, FL$50,588
Clarksville, TN$50,583
Pensacola, FL$50,577
Temple, TX$50,573
Hopkinsville, KY$50,409
Erie, PA$50,398
Florence, SC$50,375
Charleston, WV$50,286
Great Falls, MT$50,258
Macon, GA$50,179
Tallahassee, FL$50,174
Fayetteville, NC$50,162
Waco, TX$50,151
Helena, MT$50,112
Pine Bluff, AR$50,091
Vincennes, IN$50,022
Lubbock, TX$50,000
Alamogordo, NM$49,966
Twin Falls, ID$49,916
Rapid City, SD$49,899
Jackson, MS$49,798
Huntington, WV$49,794
Greenville, MS$49,793
Parkersburg, WV$49,736
Montgomery, AL$49,726
Wichita Falls, TX$49,670
Springfield, MO$49,670
Biloxi, MS$49,642
Monroe, LA$49,586
Johnstown, PA$49,546
Sumter, SC$49,524
Columbus, GA$49,518
Pascagoula, MS$49,412
Abilene, TX$49,412
Kingsport, TN$49,266
Albany, GA$49,266
Gulfport, MS$49,250
Alexandria, LA$49,065
Fort Smith, AR$48,925
El Paso, TX$48,773
Las Cruces, NM$48,521
Harlingen, TX$48,379
Pocatello, ID$48,370
Florence, AL$48,297
Brownsville, TX$48,286
Mcallen, TX$48,169
Dothan, AL$48,090
Columbus, MS$47,757
Altus, OK$47,496
Lawton, OK$47,390
Pierre, SD$47,188
What Skills Can Increase a Project Archaeologist's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 7.55% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Site Survey (Mentioned in 3.88% Job Postings): Site surveys are inspections of an area where work is proposed, to gather information for a design or an estimate to complete the initial tasks required for an outdoor activity. It can determine a precise location, access, best orientation for the site and the location of obstacles. The type of site survey and the best practices required depend on the nature of the project. Examples of projects requiring a preliminary site survey include urban construction, specialized construction (such as the location for a telescope) and wireless network design. In hydrocarbon exploration, for example, site surveys are run over the proposed locations of offshore exploration or appraisal wells. They consist typically of a tight grid of high resolution (high frequency) reflection seismology profiles to look for possible gas hazards in the shallow section beneath the seabed and detailed bathymetric data to look for possible obstacles on the seafloor (e.g. shipwrecks, existing pipelines) using multibeam echosounders.
Pneumatics (Mentioned in 1.64% Job Postings): Pneumatics (pronounced new-MATT-ix) is an aspect of physics and engineering that is concerned with using the energy in compressed gas to make something move or work.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Project Archaeologist's salary.
Site Survey: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Resilience: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Project Archaeologist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Project Archaeologist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Energy & Utilities and Software & Networking
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average.
In contrast, Project Archaeologist positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Project Archaeologist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Project Archaeologist
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Energy & Utilities
$67,212
$32.0
20%
Software & Networking
$64,411
$31.0
15%
Insurance
$62,731
$30.0
12%
Financial Services
$61,611
$30.0
10%
Healthcare
$60,491
$29.0
8%
How Education impacts a Project Archaeologist's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Project Archaeologists enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Project Archaeologist with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$52,123
and $56,370).
Project Archaeologist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Project Archaeologist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$50,042
Average$56,010/year
$62,184
$4,170
Average$4,667/month
$5,182
$962
Average$1,077/week
$1,196
$24
Average$27/hour
$30
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$62,184
$5,182
$1,196
$30
Average
$56,010
$4,667
$1,077
$27
25th Percentile
$50,042
$4,170
$962
$24
Salaries of Jobs related to Project Archaeologist
Project Architect/Project Manager$119,019
Archaeologist/Principal Investigator$114,682
Project Supervisor$101,102
Archaeologist$76,216
Archaeologist/Crew Chief$64,514
Field Archaeologist$61,281
Senior Archaeologist$55,192
Associate Archaeologist$52,138
Anthropologist Or Archaeologist$49,531
Archaeologist (On-Call)$45,396
Marine Archaeologist$42,812
Salary Trends for Project Archaeologist
Salaries for a Project Archaeologist can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $50,642 in 2023
to around $50,542 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Project Archaeologist salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Project Archaeologist Over Time
$???
$50,642
$50,759
$50,542
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$50,642
2024
$50,759
2025
$50,542
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Project Archaeologist
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Project Archaeologist
Here are companies hiring for Project Archaeologist and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Project Archaeologist
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Project Archaeologist?
The Energy & Utilities industry offers the highest average compensation for Project Archaeologist roles,
with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
