Archeology

What the Numbers Say About Archeology

0.1% of the federal civilian workforce (2,289,472 employees total, March 2025) works in the Archeology occupation (OPM code 193): 1,719 people, headcount up 0.2% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

The average salary for Archeology is $92,825 per year, placing it 15.5% below the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 2.6% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce. Average length of service in this role is 10 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

The Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (code 1) groups Archeology together with 27 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Archeology postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Archeology makes up 1.5% of the 113,996 employees across the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family, ranking #9 of 28 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (29th percentile) of pay among Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group occupations.