Archaeologists

ANZSCO ID 272414

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
430
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
76%
Female Share
51%
Average age
41

Summary

Archaeologists study human activity in the past, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data left behind, which includes artefacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes (the archaeological record).

Tasks

  • Uses aerial photography to locate sites that are suitable for excavation and/or digging (for artifacts).

  • Plans and organises surveys and excavations within a particular archaeological site.

  • Conducts field work (digging for artifacts) using tools such as pickaxes, brushes and bulldozers.

  • Carries out examination, documentation and preservation of artifacts.

  • Performs analysis and interpretation of archaeological data and findings.

  • Writes reports about the data and findings for publication.

  • Creates virtual simulations of how artifacts or archaeological sites would have looked in the past.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
  • Creative
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Social Professionals, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 76% of people employed as Archaeologists work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 10 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 44 hours per week in their main job. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
73.6%
2
Public Administration and Safety
8.4%
3
Education and Training
5.6%
4
Mining
2.3%
5
Other industries
6.8%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

39.0% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

29.8% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

8.2% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

3.1% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.8% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

3.1% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.0% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

6.1% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Archaeologists All Jobs Average
NSW 39.0 31.6
VIC 29.8 25.6
QLD 8.2 20.0
SA 3.1 7.0
WA 10.8 10.8
TAS 3.1 2.0
NT 0.0 1.0
ACT 6.1 1.9


  • Around 74% of Archaeologists live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    New South Wales, Victoria and Victoria have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
41
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
51%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Archaeologists is 41 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 51% of the workforce. This is 3 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Archaeologists All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 5.0 9.3
25-34 27.7 22.9
35-44 27.9 22.0
45-54 21.7 21.6
55-59 8.5 9.0
60-64 5.4 6.0
65 and Over 3.8 4.2
Median Age 41 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in archaeology or another related field is needed to work as an Archaeologist. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Archaeologists All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 40.9 10.1
Bachelor degree 56.4 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 0.0 11.6
Certificate III/IV 0.0 21.1
Year 12 2.7 18.1
Year 11 0.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.0 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Social Professionals who have good leadership and planning skills, with a strong ability to communicate.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 68%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 68%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 61%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 59%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 59%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 57%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 55%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 55%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 55%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 54%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 54%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 54%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 50%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 48%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 46%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 46%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 46%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 45%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 43%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 97%

    History and archeology

    Events of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.

  • 90%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 78%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 78%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 71%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 64%

    Foreign language

    Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • 61%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 59%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 57%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 55%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 52%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 50%

    Philosophy and theology

    Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.

  • 44%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 42%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 42%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 39%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 35%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 34%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 33%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 32%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 71%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 70%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 68%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 66%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 66%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 63%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 61%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 61%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 59%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 57%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 57%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 57%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 57%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 57%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 54%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 52%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 50%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 48%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 86%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 85%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 84%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 82%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 81%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 78%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 77%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 76%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 75%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 75%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 75%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 75%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 74%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 70%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 70%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 68%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 61%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 58%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 57%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 51%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 76%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 67%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 52%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 33%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 29%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 86%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 76%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 74%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 71%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 57%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 48%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 98%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 92%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 87%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 83%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 82%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 81%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 80%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 78%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 73%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 73%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 72%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 71%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 68%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 68%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 67%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 67%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 67%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 66%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 65%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 64%

    Public speaking

    Talk to a group of people.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 19-3091.02 - Archeologists.


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