19 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You will split time between teaching, research, and service. Mornings often mean prepping lectures in Google Docs or PowerPoint and checking email in Microsoft Outlook.
Afternoons can be office hours, grading exams (PDFs in Adobe Acrobat) and running seminars. Some days are fieldwork or coding data in IBM SPSS for research. Evenings or blocks of time go to writing grant proposals, manuscripts, or meeting department colleagues.
Expect Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Docs for lectures, syllabi, and spreadsheets. Outlook handles scheduling and campus email.
Adobe Acrobat is common for grading PDFs and sharing readings. For quantitative analysis you might use IBM SPSS Statistics. Faculty also use Excel and Word to prepare budgets and reports for grants.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports 5,240 employed and a median annual wage of $99,650. The lowest tenth earn about $57,840 and the top tenth about $171,310 (BLS, 2025).
Salaries vary by rank, institution type, and grant income. Public universities and research-active faculty with external funding often sit above the median.
A PhD in anthropology or archaeology is normally required for tenure-track roles. While finishing, gain teaching experience as a TA, lead recitations, or run guest lectures and compile sample syllabi in Google Docs.
Do fieldwork to build ethnographic research, learn SPSS for data analysis, and try writing a small grant or research proposal. Publishing articles and presenting at conferences helps hiring committees.
Anthropology focuses on cultures, ethnographic fieldwork, archaeology, and often long-term participant observation. Sociology studies social structures and patterns, usually with surveys and statistical analysis.
Both teach, grade, and publish, but anthropology jobs often expect field research, archaeological methods, and museum or cultural heritage work. Sociology roles may rely more heavily on quantitative methods—though both can use SPSS.
AI can draft lecture outlines, suggest exam questions, or summarize readings, but you must check accuracy and bias. Always edit AI outputs in Google Docs or Word and avoid giving it student data or private research files.
When grading, don’t rely solely on AI for feedback. Use it as a first pass, then add human comments. Follow your university’s academic integrity and privacy policies before using AI on student work.