The Register of Professional Archaeologists is committed to supporting excellence in professional archaeology as a discipline. Equally important to us is that we support Registrants by offering resources that may no longer be within financial reach for many of our Registrants. We’ve heard many of you express concerns about pay gaps, lack of employer-provided benefits, and other inequities and we are trying to do our part to help. By opening up our pockets or negotiating with service providers, we’ve recently added a number of other benefits and discounts for our Registrants. Current benefits include:

Pathways to Professionalism: Discounted rates on professional development workshops and on-demand courses (with new opportunities coming soon) through our partnerships with ACRA, SAA, and other professional organizations

Job Seeking Tools: A professional profile that can help reach prospective employers, a job posting board that helps you find employers that are looking for Registrants, and a database of regional or agency specific standards and guidelines to help brush up on local requirements

Academic Databases: Free access to JSTOR and eHRAF Archaeology for scholarly articles and literature

Swag: “Print-on-Demand” RPA clothing, hats, and other branded merch from Land’s End

Discounts: Get 8% off field supply orders from Forestry Suppliers, and for your furry field techs, a discount on SPOT Pet Insurance (yes, that’s real!)

We are continually searching for ways that we can help provide services and benefits to our Registrants. If you have ideas on how the Register can leverage our resources to help offset rising costs of living or to bridge the gaps we face, we’re all ears. Send your suggestions or questions to Executive Director Michael O’Toole (ExecutiveDirector@rpanet.org) or President Lisa Westwood, RPA (President@rpanet.org).

Keep on digging!

The Register of Professional Archaeologists (Register) is calling on you as a Registered Professional Archaeologist to submit nominations (that includes yourself) for our upcoming elections. Registrant nominations are critical to the continued guidance of the Register as it presents another forum for you as individuals to make your voices heard.

The following positions are open for election this fall. Position descriptions are provided below.

• Secretary/Treasurer (Jan 2025 – Dec 2026)
• Grievance Coordinator Elect (Jan 2025 – Dec 2026)

The Nomination and Election Schedule is as follows:

August 1, 2024            Nominations due to executivedirector@rpanet.org

September 1, 2024      Ballots to Registrants

September 30, 2024    Elections Close (midnight)

Interested parties should submit a position statement, bio, and headshot by August 1, 2024.

Thank you for your help in guiding the Register through another year!

Position Descriptions

Secretary/Treasurer – Duties and Responsibilities

The Secretary/Treasurer is responsible for the minutes of all Board and Executive Committee meetings and have all other powers assigned by the Board, the President, or the RPA Bylaws.

Prior to the beginning of the fiscal year, the Secretary/Treasurer works with the Executive Director on a proposed operating budget to be presented to the Board for approval and a financial statement showing the Register’s financial position at the close of the fiscal year.

This position is subject to a background check.

Grievance Coordinator Elect – Duties and Responsibilities

The Grievance Coordinator Elect shall assist the Grievance Coordinator in ensuring allegations of violations of the codes of conduct of the Register are addressed in accordance with the Grievance Council Procedures.

In the event the Grievance Coordinator is unable to complete their term, the Grievance Coordinator Elect will move into that role.

Today, we are thrilled to share with you a momentous occasion in the history of the Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA)!

We have officially welcomed our 5,000th registrant!

This is not just a number—it’s a testament to the collective passion, dedication, and expertise that each one of you brings to the field of archaeology.

Reaching this milestone is a reflection of the trust and value placed in the Register's commitment to uphold the highest standards of research, stewardship, and ethical practices in archaeology. It’s a celebration of the diversity and depth of knowledge that our community represents.

As we mark this significant achievement, let’s take a moment to reflect on the journey that has brought us here and to look forward to the future we will shape together. The Register remains dedicated to supporting our registrants through resources, networking opportunities, and advocacy for professional growth.

Thank you for being an integral part of this incredible success. Your contributions are shaping our profession and paving the way for future innovation.

We are excited to continue to explore, discover, and protect the invaluable insights that your collective experience in archaeology provides into human history.

Understanding that obtaining research resources can be a challenge, the Register began offering Registrant access to JSTOR publications in 2021 and now are pleased to include Yale's Human Relations Area Files for Archaeology (eHRAF Archaeology) to assist our Registrants in necessary archaeological research. The goal of the Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) is to foster an understanding of cultural diversity and commonality, both in the past and the present. To achieve this, they produce scholarly resources and infrastructure for research, teaching, and learning, and support and conduct original research on cross-cultural variation. The database is subject-indexed to the paragraph level by HRAF anthropologists, according to HRAF’s modified Outline of Cultural Materials (OCM). This comprehensive subject retrieval system extends search capability well beyond keyword searching, allowing for precise subject retrieval. eHRAF Archaeology is organized by regions and archaeological traditions. An archaeological tradition is defined as a group of populations sharing similar subsistence practices, technology, and forms of socio-political organization, which are spatially contiguous over a relatively large area and which endure temporally for a relatively long period. Each tradition consists of a general summary and documents including books, journal articles, dissertations, and manuscripts. We invite you to learn more about the traditions covered in the database and explore how eHRAF Archaeology can enhance your research. Explore the HRAF Access Portal for more information! We continue to look for ways to bring more benefits to your Register engagement. Please let us know if you have any suggestions, comments, or concerns!

Hats off to Jennifer Rollins, one of our newest student registrants, who just hit the jackpot in our new sign-up raffle! Get ready to amplify your life with your brand-new waterproof Bluetooth speaker!

Enjoy, Jennifer!

The RPA Field School Certification committee, which also manages the Field School Scholarship program, has decided to award the following students of this year’s Field School Scholarships!

We thank you for your dedication to teaching and supporting students in their training as they work towards their career and education goals!

Please join us in congratulating:

• Rosemary McGuire
• Kaitlyn McNulty
• Maxine Trujillo

The Register is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for our early career professionals and students.

Sign up for our Early Career/Student Registration during the week of April 15th to the 20th or at the SAA Annual meeting and you will automatically be entered for a chance to win a fantastic prize!

The grand prize is a state-of-the-art Bluetooth Speaker with Lights. This portable wireless speaker delivers HD sound and supports TWS dual pairing. It’s waterproof and compact, making it perfect for trips into the field and all sorts of travel. Plus, it doubles as a night light party speaker, instantly turning any space into a party zone.

Share this with your students and early career colleagues and let them know that by signing up, they’re not only giving themselves a chance to win this amazing prize, but they're also supporting their archaeological community and opening a world of opportunities.

So, don’t wait! Sign up today and help find our lucky winner!

Archaeology Career Salary Comparison 2023

Choosing to become a Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA) can significantly boost your career prospects and earning potential. A comparison of job listings posted on the RPA website and similar positions posted on Google careers in 2023 reveals a substantial difference. On average, Register Preferred positions offer an annual salary of $92,856, which is a significant 15.10% increase compared to the average salary of $80,660 for comparable positions without preference for the Register. Moreover, registered professionals earn a remarkable 35% more than the national average salary for Archaeologists in the US, which is $65,000. Therefore, becoming a registered archaeologist is not just a good career choice, it’s a strategic move that can lead to greater financial stability and professional advancement.

Register Preferred Job Postings 2023

 

Position Name	Employer	Location	Date	Annual Pay
Project Archaeologist	Coastal Environments	TX, LA	10/31/2023	75000
Cultural Resource Specialist 2	HDR Inc	Sacramento, CA	7/14/2023	83000
Archaeological Crew Chief	Terracon	Columbia, SC	6/30/2023	45900
Archaeological Principal Investigator	Terracon	Chicago, IL	6/1/2023	98000
Archaeological Principal Investigator	Coastal Environments	LA, TX, MS	5/8/2023	115000
District Archaeologist	Caltrans	Orange County, CA	4/26/2023	96000
Archaeologist	MA DOT	Boston, MA	4/18/2023	110000
Cultural Resource Group Manager	Helix Environmental	CA	3/13/2023	140000
Project Archaeologist	Metric Environmental	IN	2/16/2023	72800
Average Annual Salary				92856

 

 

Non-Registered Positions Posted on Google Career Search

 

Position Name	Employer	Location	Date	Annual Pay
Project Archaeologist	SWCA	Bismark, ND	10/26/2023	86000
On Call Field Archaeologist	WSP	Campbell, CA	10/27/2023	41600
Staff Level Archaeologist	SWCA	Pasadena, CA	10/26/2023	69000
Principal Technical Consultant, Archaeologist	ERM	Seattle, WA	10/17/2023	123000
Staff Research Scientist, Archaeologist	Desert Research Institute	Las Vegas, NV	10/26/2023	56000
Senior Archaeologist	Montrose Environmental	CA	10/31/2023	95000
Senior Archaeologist/Principal Investigator	AECOM	Portland, OR	10/26/2023	80000
Senior Archaeologist/Principal Investigator	AECOM	Denver, CO	9/30/2023	80000
Archaeologist	ICF	Tallahassee, FL	9/30/2023	109000
Senior Archaeologist	IN DOT	Indianapolis, IN	10/30/2023	67000
Average Annual Salary				80660

 

 

 

         

 

ACRA is pleased to announce a new webinar series specifically created for students and emerging professionals in the CRM industry! This 3-session series will provide new skills to those just starting or early in their field on choosing a career path, interview skills, and more. Thursday, January 18: Contemplate Your Career Path +Free MBTI link and report This one-hour seminar is designed to provide you with a framework for exploring various job opportunities and career paths available to you. Thursday, February 29: Unlock Your Interview Success Step into your next job interview with better confidence and a sense of control in this session that includes helpful interviewing tips. Thursday, March 28: Invest in Your Success with a ‘Self-Care and Your Work’ Seminar This empowering seminar will equip you with the essential self-care tools to thrive in your professional journey. This session is specifically designed to help you understand and manage your very own 'self-care dashboard' — the key to unlocking peak performance and fulfillment in your career. Each session will be held at 12:00 pm Eastern in Google Meet.  This series is FREE for ACRA students/members and available to others for $10 per session. Register NOW to reserve your spot!

We are excited to announce the results of the recent election for the Register of Professional Archaeologists’ board and committee positions. Our heartfelt thanks to all who participated in this years’ running. Your dedication and commitment to our field are truly commendable.

Please join us in congratulating your colleagues in their newest endeavors:

• President Elect: Sara Ayers-Rigsby, MA RPA #16527
• Registrar: George Calfas, PhD RPA # 989245
• Nominating Committee Chair: K. Michaela Conway, MA RPA # 4925
• Standards Committee Chair: Dan Cassedy, PhD RPA # 18034
• Standards Committee Alternate: Heather Adams, MS RPA # 17350

We are looking forward to the fantastic opportunities and insights these new members of our board and committees will bring to the Register.

We would also like to express our deepest appreciation to all the candidates who ran for positions. While the election results may not have been in your favor, your willingness to serve and your passion for archaeology are highly valued. Your unique skills, perspectives, and experiences are vital to our organization and do not go unnoticed.

We believe that every member has the potential to make a significant impact, and we encourage you to continue to be involved. There are numerous ways to contribute and volunteer your service to our organization. From participating in our various initiatives and projects, to sharing your expertise in workshops and seminars, your involvement is crucial to our mission.

Remember, every effort counts, no matter how small it may seem. It’s the collective contributions of our members that make us stronger and help us advance the field of archaeology.

We look forward to your continued participation and are here to support you in any way we can. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need assistance.

Once again, thank you for your dedication and commitment. We are excited about the future of our organization and the role you all will play in it.