Anthropologists and Archeologists · SOC 19-3091

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Anthropologists and Archeologistss

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas

Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for anthropologists and archeologists. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

Top 25 of 55 metro areas

Anthropologists and Archeologists: metro areas with the highest published median annual wages, May 2025
#	Metro area	Median annual	Employment	Per 1,000 jobs
1	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$117,080	70	0.0
2	Boise City, ID	$104,250	90	0.2
3	Anchorage, AK	$94,210	60	0.4
4	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$87,400	250	0.1
5	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$85,160	130	0.1
6	Urban Honolulu, HI	$84,530	170	0.4
7	Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	$80,270	30	0.1
8	Richmond, VA	$80,230	Not published	Not published
9	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$79,780	50	0.0
10	Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$79,530	200	0.2
11	Jacksonville, FL	$77,830	40	0.1
12	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$76,010	90	0.1
13	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$75,480	350	0.1
14	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$74,630	120	0.1
15	Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$74,490	40	0.2
16	San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR	$74,400	30	0.0
17	Tucson, AZ	$73,860	90	0.2
18	St. Louis, MO-IL	$72,740	40	0.0
19	Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	$70,690	100	0.1
20	Albuquerque, NM	$68,180	80	0.2
21	Santa Fe, NM	$67,040	40	0.6
22	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$66,620	60	0.2
23	Raleigh-Cary, NC	$66,560	80	0.1
24	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$66,310	150	0.0
25	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$66,160	230	0.2

Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Anthropologists and Archeologists overview.

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.