Ethnomusicologist

Ethnomusicologist completes the critical job tasks documented here and this page lists 23 real tasks to follow. Short directions emphasize safety checks and client-centered outcomes. Each one shows where we found it, and comes with an AI prompt you can copy and use straight away.

23evidenced tasks
23ready prompts
10tools of the trade
19-3091.00O*NET-SOC code
8,990hold this job (US, BLS 2025)
$70,770median pay/yr (US)
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What it pays

Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.

Half of all Anthropologists and Archeologists in the U.S. earn more than $70,770 a year — the middle 80% land between $49,050 and $108,060. About 8,990 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Anthropologists and Archeologists”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$70,770typical pay / year
8,990people in this work
$108,060+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
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The work, task by task

These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.

Analysing4

Examine archaeological remains and artifacts

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Examine the pottery sherds and bone fragments from the west trench, record their dimensions, manufacturing…
Examine the pottery sherds and bone fragments from the west trench, record their dimensions, manufacturing marks, and wear patterns, photograph each object with scale and colour card, and note stratigraphic context and associated features in the field notebook tonight.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCADjob descriptionsO*NET

Analyze data, samples, and artifacts

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Analyze the ceramic thin-sections, residue samples, and recorded tunes on the audio reels, code material…
Analyze the ceramic thin-sections, residue samples, and recorded tunes on the audio reels, code material composition and use-wear, run basic statistics to compare attribute frequencies, and write a one-page memo summarising implications for performance practice.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS Statisticsjob descriptionsO*NET

Study aspects of humans within past and present societies

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Listen through the field recordings from Village X, timestamp key musical events and participant commentary,…
Listen through the field recordings from Village X, timestamp key musical events and participant commentary, transcribe three representative song excerpts with performer IDs, and draft a brief context paragraph linking repertoire to social occasion for next week's seminar.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeESCOO*NETWikipedia

Analyze human remains and artifacts

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Examine the set of human remains recovered from Unit 7, document age and trauma indicators, photograph key…
Examine the set of human remains recovered from Unit 7, document age and trauma indicators, photograph key elements with scale, record provenience and chain-of-custody details, and draft a secure summary for the forensic lead by Tuesday morning.
The tools that do the workAdobe PhotoshopAdobe Acrobatjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
Convincing2

Study social and cultural issues

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Map interview and observation notes on kinship, ritual, and economic practices from the Lamu field season,…
Map interview and observation notes on kinship, ritual, and economic practices from the Lamu field season, synthesise patterns into three cultural themes with supporting examples, and prepare a two-page brief for the grant report due Friday.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsO*NET

Collect information through interviews

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Collect interview material with three elder musicians in Kajiado, record informed consent, audio-record each…
Collect interview material with three elder musicians in Kajiado, record informed consent, audio-record each session, take field notes on context and nonverbal cues, and deliver labelled audio files plus a short metadata sheet by Saturday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsO*NET
The daily work17

Perform market research on cultural demand

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Gather recent sales, streaming, and attendance figures for Afrobeat, folk revival, and devotional genres in…
Gather recent sales, streaming, and attendance figures for Afrobeat, folk revival, and devotional genres in Lagos and London, compare month-on-month demand trends, identify three underserved audience segments, and produce a two-page briefing for a rights-holder meeting next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Wordjob descriptions

Research norms, values, and behavior of societies

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Collect interview excerpts, field notes, and festival programmes to map prevailing norms, moral vocabularies,…
Collect interview excerpts, field notes, and festival programmes to map prevailing norms, moral vocabularies, and performance etiquette in the coastal singing communities, code them for recurring themes, and deliver a coded dataset plus a 1,000-word interpretive memo by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordWikipedia

Examine human economic behavior

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Design and run a short survey and matched participant observations to record how musicians allocate income…
Design and run a short survey and matched participant observations to record how musicians allocate income across gigs, teaching, and streaming, calculate descriptive income shares and variability, and submit a results table with an executive summary within ten days.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft ExcelWikipedia

Investigate diseases and their impacts on humans over time

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Compile historical mortality, clinic, and oral-history data to trace how outbreaks shaped ritual practices…
Compile historical mortality, clinic, and oral-history data to trace how outbreaks shaped ritual practices and music-making over the last fifty years, identify three plausible causal pathways, and produce a draft article section with tables and timelines in two weeks.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISMicrosoft WordWikipedia

Design and coordinate data collection

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Design the field protocol for the community music study, list sampling frames, consent scripts in local…
Design the field protocol for the community music study, list sampling frames, consent scripts in local languages, required recording gear and backup plans, and schedule team training with Mara and José for the week of July 12–16.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Officejob descriptions

Record and manage field observations

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Set up the observation log structure, standardise note fields and timecodes, create an audio/photo file…
Set up the observation log structure, standardise note fields and timecodes, create an audio/photo file naming convention, and import last season’s notes so I can tag participants and events consistently during the next sprint.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions

Advise organizations on cultural impacts

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Draft a concise advisory memo for the heritage office assessing cultural impacts of the festival proposal,…
Draft a concise advisory memo for the heritage office assessing cultural impacts of the festival proposal, include three mitigation options with estimated costs and community consultation steps, and send the draft to Anna for review by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions

Connect findings with past environments

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Map each archive recording to the historical field site it came from, summarise how musical practices changed…
Map each archive recording to the historical field site it came from, summarise how musical practices changed with land use, and produce a short narrative linking recordings to past environments for the upcoming museum panel.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISjob descriptions

Assess building sites for site preservation

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Survey the proposed construction parcel for soundscape-sensitive features, note access points and community…
Survey the proposed construction parcel for soundscape-sensitive features, note access points and community usage, recommend avoidance buffers for ritual sites, and prepare a one-page site preservation brief for the planning committee.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISjob descriptions

Conduct fieldwork in remote areas

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Plan the remote field trip: confirm village contacts, list essential recording and power gear with spares,…
Plan the remote field trip: confirm village contacts, list essential recording and power gear with spares, set a three-day risk and medical plan, and book the local fixer and translator for August 2–10.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions

Assess archeological sites for resource management, development, or conservation purposes and recommend methods for site protection.

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Survey the three tell sites on the municipal reserve, map visible features and artifact scatter, assess…
Survey the three tell sites on the municipal reserve, map visible features and artifact scatter, assess threats from proposed road and irrigation works, and deliver a short protection plan with prioritized interventions and a two-year monitoring schedule by next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISO*NET

Conduct participatory action research in communities and organizations to assess how work is done and to design work systems, technologies, and environments.

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Spend two weeks embedded with the textile cooperative in Barrio San Miguel, document daily workflows and…
Spend two weeks embedded with the textile cooperative in Barrio San Miguel, document daily workflows and decision points, co-design two prototype work routines with members, and write a clear implementation plan and evaluation measures for their coordinator.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET

Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.

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Draft a 12‑page proposal requesting fieldwork funding for the mountain lullaby project, include aims,…
Draft a 12‑page proposal requesting fieldwork funding for the mountain lullaby project, include aims, methods, timeline, detailed budget for travel and stipends, letters of community support, and submit the polished file to Maria by Friday for her signature.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET

Organize public exhibits and displays to promote public awareness of diverse and distinctive cultural traditions.

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Design the community exhibit for the summer festival: select ten instruments and stories, write exhibit…
Design the community exhibit for the summer festival: select ten instruments and stories, write exhibit labels and audio scripts in English and Spanish, arrange a floor plan for the gallery, and deliver vendor-ready artwork and a show schedule three weeks before opening.
The tools that do the workAdobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoshopO*NET

Enhance the cultural sensitivity of elementary and secondary curricula and classroom interactions in collaboration with educators and teachers.

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Meet the district curriculum team, review current music lesson plans, propose three culturally responsive…
Meet the district curriculum team, review current music lesson plans, propose three culturally responsive modules with learning objectives and classroom activities for grades 4–8, and provide teacher notes and assessment rubrics in time for the term planning meeting on Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET

Describe artifacts' physical properties or attributes, such as the materials from which artifacts are made and their size, shape, function, and decoration.

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Examine the donated instrument collection, record each object's material, dimensions, construction…
Examine the donated instrument collection, record each object's material, dimensions, construction techniques, decoration, and probable function, photograph each view, and produce a catalog of descriptions and condition notes for the registrar within five days.
The tools that do the workAdobe PhotoshopMicrosoft ExcelO*NET

Analyze how language affects social life

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Produce the language and social life brief: collate conversational transcripts, code speech acts related to…
Produce the language and social life brief: collate conversational transcripts, code speech acts related to status and solidarity, write an analysis tying codes to social roles, and produce a 10‑page report with exemplar excerpts for departmental circulation Friday.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft WordESCOWikipedia

Says who?

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The logs, files & records this job keeps

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Related careers

Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.

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