At its most basic, archaeology is the study of prehistory and human history through the excavation and analyzation of artifacts. There is some methodical digging involved, but the bulk of an archaeologist’s work will be done in the lab, analyzing excavated remains.

"[Archaeology] isn’t about getting chased by a giant boulder," says Diane Gifford-Gonzalez, president of the Society for American Archaeology.

Her comment, of course, is a nod to "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark," the first of four films that chronicle the action-packed exploits of the fictional archaeologist Indiana Jones.

But if it’s not about sprinting from runaway rocks or extracting yourself from a pit of snakes, what do archaeologists do?

Archaeologists are currently employed in two major sectors. There is the more traditional route of working as a professor or a museum curator. Alternatively, archaeologists can work in a sector called cultural heritage management, sometimes called cultural resource management. These archaeologists work to preserve historic and archaeological sites during development and other projects. They might work for the federal or state governments, utility companies or private companies.

Gifford-Gonzalez explains that you don’t often have those "aha" moments out in the field, but rather you’ll have them after a lot of data crunching and painstaking analysis in the lab.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4.2% employment growth for archaeologists between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 300 jobs should open up.

To land most jobs in this field, budding archaeologists will need to acquire a master’s degree – and in some cases, a doctoral degree. A master’s degree usually allows these professionals to advance beyond entry-level positions, but a Ph.D. offers further mobility into international project work, university teaching positions or museum curator positions. All jobs will likely require applicants to have extensive field experience. Gifford-Gonzalez says you can find different field schools through the Archaeological Institute of America’s website. You can also gain field school experience through lower-cost "Passport in Time" programs offered through the U.S. Forest Service.

However, Gifford-Gonzalez recommends that students go out on an archaeological dig before they go to school. "You need to find out whether you’re really cut out for archaeology. [On a dig,] you’ll either be too hot or too cold. You may have to camp out and eat monotonous food. You’re expected to work collaboratively. It’s not just about digging square holes in the ground. Sometimes people who have loved the theory and abstract of the classroom find they don’t love the actual job.