Anthropology

Types of Degrees Anthropology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many anthropology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	8,890
Associate Degree	950
Master’s Degree	941
Doctor’s Degree	469
Basic Certificate	97
Graduate Certificate	36
Undergraduate Certificate	32

What Anthropology Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to anthropology and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Anthropology Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
• Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Anthropology Majors

A major in anthropology prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Anthropology Majors

A major in anthropology will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Anthropology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with anthropology:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Anthropologists	3.9%	$62,410
Anthropology and Archeology Professors	9.9%	$83,940
Compliance Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Regulatory Affairs Managers	8.0%	$107,480

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 8,890 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology in 2021, making it rank #59 in popularity. The major attracts more women than men. About 75% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of anthropology majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	553
Black or African American	504
Hispanic or Latino	1,817
White	4,969
International Students	209
Other Races/Ethnicities	838

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Anthropology. About 2.4% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• Canada
• India
• South Korea
• Turkey

How Much Do Anthropology Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that anthropology students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $25,284 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $22,770 (25th percentile) and $27,887 (75th percentile).

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to anthropology.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $65,310 to $115,590 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to anthropology. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Anthropology

Some degrees associated with anthropology may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for anthropology careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	2.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.5%
Some College Courses	0.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	34.3%
Master’s Degree	20.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.9%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.9%
Doctoral Degree	34.8%
Post-Doctoral Training	2.8%

Online Anthropology Programs

In 2020-2021, 597 schools offered a anthropology program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	4	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	2	0
Associate’s Degree	133	13
Bachelor’s Degree	24	4
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	180	4
Post-Master’s	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	113	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Anthropology Worth It?

The median salary for a anthropology grad is $94,080 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 136% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,083,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Anthropology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to anthropology.

Major	Number of Grads
Political Science & Government	49,282
Economics	49,055
Sociology	38,475
General Social Sciences	18,997
International Relations & National Security	14,306
Criminology	11,039
Geography & Cartography	8,526
Other Social Sciences	2,414
Urban Studies	1,507
Sociology & Anthropology	541
Archeology	339
Demography & Population Studies	88

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Deror avi under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.