How much does an anthropology professor make?
a year · about $48 an hour
A typical anthropology professor in the United States makes $99,650 a year, about $48 an hour, about 2× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
A professor may lead a class discussion about culture, grade papers, and meet students during office hours. Between classes, they may plan lessons, read new research, or work on a field study.
Did you know? At SMU, anthropology students use 3D-printed copies of 4,000-year-old clay tablets; some are smaller than a credit card and once recorded grain, animals, and work.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $57,840 and $171,310How do you become one?
In the US, study anthropology in college and usually earn a PhD; some community colleges accept a master’s. Graduate research and fieldwork are useful; there is no set entry age or general teacher-license step.
School needed: Graduate degree or long training
Good for people who like helping and teaching and figuring things out
Why does pay differ?
In the US, pay changes with experience, the kind and size of college, and its location. Full-time and part-time jobs can pay differently, and large universities often mix teaching with research while community colleges focus more on teaching.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Missouri ($130,500), lowest in North Carolina ($64,380).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $57,840 | $99,650 | $171,310 | about 5,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $130,500 | about 160 |
| California | $128,370 | about 630 |
| Connecticut | $112,860 | about 100 |
| Massachusetts | $107,390 | about 250 |
| District of Columbia | $106,470 | about 50 |
Official definition: Teach courses in anthropology or archeology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/print/postsecondary-teachers.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/details/25-1061.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- americananthro.org/careers/career-paths-and-education/
- blog.smu.edu/anthropology/2026/05/01/cuneiform-in-the-classroom-abel-and-boulang
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY