Physical Anthropologist

Physical Anthropologist supports families and clients through specific steps and the 29 real tasks here show the concrete services you’ll provide. Each task explains who benefits and how to measure improvement. Each one shows where we found it, and comes with an AI prompt you can copy and use straight away.

29evidenced tasks
29ready prompts
9tools 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.

Analysing6

Analyze human remains and artifacts

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Assess the skeleton and associated artifacts from Trench B, record pathological markers, metric measurements,…
Assess the skeleton and associated artifacts from Trench B, record pathological markers, metric measurements, and taphonomic observations, photograph each element with scale, label finds to provenience, and prepare a preliminary osteological report for Dr. Morales by Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia

Study social and cultural issues

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Design and run a short mixed-methods study on kinship and ritual at the coastal village, draft interview…
Design and run a short mixed-methods study on kinship and ritual at the coastal village, draft interview guides and participant observation schedules, map social networks from field notes, and outline a publishable paper for the next grant milestone on Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsO*NET

Collect information through interviews

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Conduct semi-structured interviews with ten elders about seasonal food practices, audio-record each session…
Conduct semi-structured interviews with ten elders about seasonal food practices, audio-record each session with consent, transcribe interviews verbatim, code emergent themes, and produce a memo of findings for the ethics board by end of week.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsO*NET

Examine archaeological remains and artifacts

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Excavate and document the ceramic assemblage from Unit 12, draw rims and diagnostic sherds at scale, record…
Excavate and document the ceramic assemblage from Unit 12, draw rims and diagnostic sherds at scale, record stratigraphic context and associated charcoal samples, bag labeled samples for C14 and deliver a field catalogue to the lab techs tomorrow morning.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCADjob descriptionsO*NET

Analyze data, samples, and artifacts

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Compile the lab results, morphometric measurements, and isotope readings into a single dataset, run…
Compile the lab results, morphometric measurements, and isotope readings into a single dataset, run descriptive statistics and flag outliers, then draft the methods and results sections summarizing sample prep and analytical steps for the manuscript due next month.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET

Study aspects of humans within past and present societies

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Synthesize comparative notes on cranial metrics, dental morphology, and stature estimates across the three…
Synthesize comparative notes on cranial metrics, dental morphology, and stature estimates across the three burial contexts, annotate anomalies linked to cultural modification, and draft a 1,200-word interpretation linking biological variation to documented migration patterns for the journal submission.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeESCOO*NETWikipedia
The daily work23

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

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Assess the surveyed archaeological sites at Lakeview Ridge and Old Mill Road for resource impacts from the…
Assess the surveyed archaeological sites at Lakeview Ridge and Old Mill Road for resource impacts from the proposed housing development, map vulnerable features, recommend three practical protection methods, and produce a one-page advisory for the county planner by Friday.
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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Run participatory action research with workers at Riverton Packing to observe workflows for two weeks,…
Run participatory action research with workers at Riverton Packing to observe workflows for two weeks, facilitate three design workshops with staff, synthesize findings into a redesign plan for tools and shifts, and deliver a practical implementation brief to management.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET

Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.

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Draft a research grant for the National Science Foundation requesting 18 months of funding to study…
Draft a research grant for the National Science Foundation requesting 18 months of funding to study microevolutionary markers in the urban immigrant population, include objectives, methods, timeline, and a budget justification, and prepare the packet for submission two weeks before the deadline.
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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Plan a public exhibit titled Bodies of Belonging that highlights local burial practices and repatriation…
Plan a public exhibit titled Bodies of Belonging that highlights local burial practices and repatriation stories, select ten artifacts and three multimedia panels, draft interpretive texts sensitive to descendant communities, and book the community hall for opening month.
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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Work with Lincoln Elementary teachers to review fifth- and eighth-grade social studies units, insert three…
Work with Lincoln Elementary teachers to review fifth- and eighth-grade social studies units, insert three culturally responsive lesson plans, prepare teacher notes on classroom interactions, and run a half-day trainer session next Wednesday.
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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Measure and photograph the ten lithic and ceramic artifacts from Unit B, record material, dimensions, weight,…
Measure and photograph the ten lithic and ceramic artifacts from Unit B, record material, dimensions, weight, manufacturing marks, and decoration, write concise catalog entries for the museum database, and send the report to collections by Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelO*NET

Design and coordinate data collection

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Design the field data protocol for the coastal burial site study: list variables to record, sampling schedule…
Design the field data protocol for the coastal burial site study: list variables to record, sampling schedule for three teams over six weeks, consent language, equipment checklist, and a data quality checklist to approve before deployment next Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Officejob descriptions

Record and manage field observations

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Create a field notebook template and a linked database to capture daily observations from Team A and Team B,…
Create a field notebook template and a linked database to capture daily observations from Team A and Team B, with fields for GPS, context notes, sketch slot, photographer initials, and confidentiality flag, then export a weekly summary report every Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions

Advise organizations on cultural impacts

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Draft a short advisory memo for the city planning department assessing cultural impacts of the waterfront…
Draft a short advisory memo for the city planning department assessing cultural impacts of the waterfront redevelopment, include stakeholder list, likely affected practices, recommended mitigation steps, and a one-page executive summary for the planning lead by Thursday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions

Connect findings with past environments

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Prepare an integrated report linking human skeletal findings to past shoreline environments: compile sediment…
Prepare an integrated report linking human skeletal findings to past shoreline environments: compile sediment descriptions, radiocarbon dates, faunal associations, and a short interpretive section tying morphology to palaeoenvironmental indicators for peer review next month.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions

Assess building sites for site preservation

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Produce a site assessment checklist and photographic sampling plan for the proposed development at 42 River…
Produce a site assessment checklist and photographic sampling plan for the proposed development at 42 River Road, evaluate vulnerability of human remains, recommend preservation measures, and deliver a one-page brief to the preservation officer by Wednesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Officejob descriptions

Conduct fieldwork in remote areas

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Plan the logistics and safety protocol for a four-week skeletal survey in the highland valley: roster…
Plan the logistics and safety protocol for a four-week skeletal survey in the highland valley: roster transport, cold-chain for samples, daily check-ins, emergency contacts, and a minimal equipment manifest to hand to the field teams by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions

Prepare reports and present findings

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Draft the site report and slides summarising osteological measurements, context descriptions, and radiocarbon…
Draft the site report and slides summarising osteological measurements, context descriptions, and radiocarbon results, circulate to Dr. Maria Lopez and the department chair for review by Thursday, and embed photos and measurement tables first.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeAdobe Acrobatjob descriptionsO*NET

Excavate historical and archaeological sites

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Compile the excavation daily log, context sheets, provenience maps and inventory of finds, flag priority…
Compile the excavation daily log, context sheets, provenience maps and inventory of finds, flag priority features for post-excavation processing, and send the consolidated field packet to the lab manager and funding PI by Monday morning.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISjob descriptionsO*NET

Understand and describe the past of humanity

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Write a four-page synthesis describing population mobility, diet indicators and tool typologies from the last…
Write a four-page synthesis describing population mobility, diet indicators and tool typologies from the last season, attach isotope and chronology summaries, and submit it to the grant coordinator and journal co-author for comment within ten days.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS StatisticsESCOWikipedia

Analyze how language affects social life

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Assemble transcripts, field notes and interaction summaries to show how local speech practices shape kinship…
Assemble transcripts, field notes and interaction summaries to show how local speech practices shape kinship negotiation, code examples and timestamps, then send the draft to Dr. Ahmed and the linguistics collaborator for feedback by next Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeESCOWikipedia

Research all aspects of life pertaining to humans

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Gather ethnographic field notes, survey summaries and behavioral coding, produce a concise report linking…
Gather ethnographic field notes, survey summaries and behavioral coding, produce a concise report linking life-history, ritual and subsistence patterns, and share with the community liaison and department seminar list before the monthly meeting.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OfficeESCOWikipedia

Teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology.

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Prepare the seminar syllabus, three lecture slides on excavation methods and osteology, and an assignment…
Prepare the seminar syllabus, three lecture slides on excavation methods and osteology, and an assignment rubric, post them to the course page and email undergraduates and grad mentees the week before term starts.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET

Draw and build on knowledge from sciences

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Synthesize field notes and lab measurements into annotated skeletal diagrams and a two-page methods summary…
Synthesize field notes and lab measurements into annotated skeletal diagrams and a two-page methods summary that link morphological variation to ecological and genetic hypotheses, then prepare the figures for journal submission by Friday.
The tools that do the workAdobe IllustratorAdobe Acrobatjob descriptions

Perform market research on cultural demand

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Map consumer interviews, museum visitation counts, and local craft sales to identify cultural demand trends,…
Map consumer interviews, museum visitation counts, and local craft sales to identify cultural demand trends, produce a one-page briefing with three actionable recommendations for the funder by next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions

Research norms, values, and behavior of societies

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Collect and code thirty participant-observation episodes and archival texts, then produce a thematic summary…
Collect and code thirty participant-observation episodes and archival texts, then produce a thematic summary that links specific rituals, stated values, and everyday practices with citations and a recommended follow-up interview guide.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS StatisticsWikipedia

Examine human economic behavior

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Analyze household production logs and market transaction records to identify patterns in saving, sharing, and…
Analyze household production logs and market transaction records to identify patterns in saving, sharing, and exchange, then produce a concise report with three testable hypotheses and the data tables that support them.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelWikipedia

Investigate diseases and their impacts on humans over time

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Compile paleopathology records, burial demographics, and historical morbidity reports to assess disease…
Compile paleopathology records, burial demographics, and historical morbidity reports to assess disease impact trends, write a results section linking lesions to population change, and attach the specimen inventory spreadsheet.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelAdobe AcrobatWikipedia

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The logs, files & records this job keeps

Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.

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

The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.

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