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Archaeologist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an archaeologist is $88,400 per annum, before tax, up $18,400 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- What you earn depends mostly on the sector: private heritage consultancies set their own rates above the award for experienced field staff, while government agencies and universities pay on fixed classification scales.
- Field work is often contracted by the day or the project, so a year's earnings move with how much work is approved.
- Remote and interstate projects usually come with travel allowances or living-away-from-home payments, which add to a field season's income.
The median salary rose by $18,400 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
How to negotiate a higher archaeologist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time archaeologist salary is $88,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Field research and sampling and Laboratory analysis tend to command a premium over general archaeologist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Archaeologist salary questions
How much do archaeologists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an archaeologist is $88,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is archaeologist pay rising or falling?
The median archaeologist salary is up $18,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
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Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.