Archaeology jobs exist within museums, heritage agencies and local government, but the skills you’ll gain from an archaeology degree lead the way down many different career paths
Job options
Jobs directly related to your degree include:
- Archaeologist
- Conservator
- Heritage manager
- Historic buildings inspector/conservation officer
- Museum education officer
- Museum/gallery curator
- Museum/gallery exhibitions officer
Jobs where your degree would be useful include:
- Archivist
- Cartographer
- Higher education lecturer
- Records manager
- Social researcher
- Tourism officer
Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don’t restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.
Work experience
Some employers of archaeologists will expect you to have experience in related areas so look for suitable opportunities. By doing this you’ll also show your commitment and genuine interest in the career.
Consider volunteering as a digger or check out opportunities with local museums and galleries and heritage organisations.
Volunteer work will introduce you to the demands of working outdoors, in all weather conditions. It’s an excellent way of demonstrating your physical fitness and resilience, as well as making sure the work something you’ll enjoy as a career. Volunteering is also great for networking and making useful contacts.
Typical employers
Employers of archaeologists include:
- archaeological contractors
- independent archaeological consultants
- local government
- national heritage agencies
- private museums and charities
- university archaeology departments.
In addition, you can look for opportunities in the area of rescue archaeology. This can also be known as commercial, contract, compliance, preventive or salvage archaeology, and it takes place before any building work or land development.
