People who work in anthropology are curious about the world around them and have a desire to understand different cultures from a variety of perspectives. You will study ancient cultures by examining artifacts, studying documents, or conducting fieldwork, or they may focus on contemporary cultures by observing people's behavior or interviewing them.
Anthropologists also promote greater understanding between groups of people with different cultures. For example, you'll help design programs that teach immigrants about the culture of their new country or help businesses develop products that will be successful in other countries. People with a bachelor's degree in anthropology typically work in research organizations, government agencies, or consulting firms. Although most jobs are in office settings, some anthropologists analyze samples in laboratories or do fieldwork at archaeological sites or in other outdoor settings.
Fieldwork can be strenuous and sometimes requires travel for extended periods. Jobs that anthropologists typically do include formulating or reviewing policies and regulations, compiling personnel or product records and reports, examining the cultures, languages, archaeological remains, and physical characteristics of people in various parts of the world, teaching anthropology at the postsecondary level, and working as market research analysts. Museum curators and directors, social service workers, human resources specialists, and museum guides and educators also may have backgrounds in anthropology.
Get detail on careers for those who study anthropology, including job opening statistics, local employers and salary ranges. Note: Many careers require a bachelor's degree.
