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Cultural Anthropology

Types of Degrees Cultural Anthropology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Cultural Anthropology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	46
Master’s Degree	29
Doctor’s Degree	4

What Cultural Anthropology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Cultural Anthropology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Cultural Anthropology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Cultural Anthropology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Cultural Anthropology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Cultural Anthropology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Cultural Anthropology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Cultural Anthropology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Cultural Anthropology graduates include:

• Assistant Professor
• College Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Professor
• Lecturer
• Latin American Studies Professor
• Gender Studies Professor
• Gender Studies Lecturer
• Ethnology Teacher
• Faculty Lecturer
• African Studies Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Ethnology Professor
• American Studies Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Cultural Anthropology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	33.2%
Doctoral degree	29.7%
Master’s degree	17.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.0%
Postsecondary certificate	2.6%
Some college courses	2.0%
Post-master’s certificate	1.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.6%
Post-doctoral training	1.4%
First professional degree	1.0%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Cultural Anthropology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 72.2% of Cultural Anthropology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	57	72.2%
Men	22	27.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Cultural Anthropology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	48	60.8%
Asian	4	5.1%
Hispanic or Latino	8	10.1%
Black or African American	7	8.9%
Two or More Races	5	6.3%
Race Unknown	1	1.3%
International Students	6	7.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Cultural Anthropology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Cultural Anthropology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$29,017
4 years	$40,107
5 years	$48,105

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $48,105 — roughly 66% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Cultural Anthropology Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Cultural Anthropology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Cultural Anthropology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Cultural Anthropology graduates earn a median of $40,107 four years after completion — roughly 6% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Anthropology	45.02
Anthropology, General	45.0201
Anthropology, Other	45.0299
Forensic Anthropology	45.0205
Medical Anthropology	45.0203
Physical and Biological Anthropology	45.0202
Archeology	45.0301
Geography and Anthropology	45.1501
Sociology and Anthropology	45.1301

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.