The job market for forensic anthropology is highly competitive because there are vastly more qualified graduates than available positions. Fewer than 15 board-certified forensic anthropologists hold full-time jobs in medical examiner or coroner offices across the entire United States, and the broader field of anthropology and archaeology supports only about 8,800 total jobs nationally. For a discipline that captures enormous public interest, the actual number of dedicated roles is remarkably small.
Very Few Full-Time Positions Exist
The core problem is simple math. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects roughly 800 openings per year across all anthropology and archaeology specialties combined. That figure includes retirements, people leaving the field, and newly created roles. Forensic anthropology is a narrow slice of that already small number. Only a handful of medical examiner offices in the country employ full-time forensic anthropologists at all.
The offices that do hire them tend to be in major metropolitan areas with high caseloads. New York City’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has a forensic anthropology unit with five full-time anthropologists. Harris County, Texas (which includes Houston) employs four doctoral-level forensic anthropologists. Washington, D.C. established its first full-time forensic anthropology position and lab in 2014. Tarrant County, Texas created a dedicated anthropology laboratory manager role in 2003. These are notable precisely because they’re exceptions. Most jurisdictions contract forensic anthropologists on a case-by-case basis rather than keeping one on staff.
TV Shows Flooded the Pipeline
While the number of positions stayed flat, interest in forensic science exploded. Shows like CSI, Bones, and their many spinoffs made forensic work look glamorous and fast-paced, and the effect on enrollment was dramatic. A study in the Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences found that 71.5% of forensic science students said popular television influenced their decision to study the field. Even though 87.8% of those students recognized inaccuracies in how TV portrays the work, the media still shaped their career expectations.
This surge in interest meant universities launched more forensic science and forensic anthropology programs, producing a steady stream of graduates entering a job market that didn’t grow to match. The result is a bottleneck: dozens of highly educated candidates competing for each opening.
The Education Investment Is Steep
Forensic anthropology requires extensive graduate training. Most practicing forensic anthropologists hold doctoral degrees, which typically take five to seven years beyond a bachelor’s. Board certification through the American Board of Forensic Anthropology adds another layer of qualification, requiring a Ph.D., casework experience, and passing an examination.
The average salary for anthropologists, including forensic specialists, sits at about $61,910 per year. Government positions pay better, averaging around $80,910. But these figures follow a decade or more of higher education. Many graduates carry significant student debt from their doctoral training, and the limited number of positions means some never land a full-time role in the field at all.
Academic Jobs Are Equally Scarce
Many forensic anthropologists aim for university faculty positions, where they can teach, conduct research, and take on consulting casework. But the academic job market in biological anthropology is notoriously tight. At any given time, only a small number of tenure-track positions are advertised nationally. A recent snapshot of listings from the American Association of Biological Anthropologists showed just a few openings, at institutions like the University of South Dakota, Oxford College of Emory University, and East Carolina University. These positions attract applicants from across the country, and a single opening can receive dozens or even hundreds of applications from qualified Ph.D. holders.
Federal Roles Are Limited Too
The federal government offers some of the most stable forensic anthropology positions, particularly through the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), which identifies the remains of missing service members. The DPAA laboratory employs forensic anthropologists to analyze human remains recovered from past conflicts, and the agency’s broader forensic operation includes over 150 scientists and support staff, with 97 scientists directly supporting the DPAA mission. The FBI and the Smithsonian Institution also employ forensic anthropologists. But these agencies hire infrequently, and the positions they do open attract intense competition from candidates with strong academic credentials and field experience.
Most Graduates Work in Adjacent Fields
Because dedicated forensic anthropology positions are so rare, many people trained in the discipline end up working in related areas. University teaching and museum work are common paths. Some forensic anthropologists take roles in broader forensic science labs, humanitarian organizations involved in disaster victim identification, or human rights investigations. Others work as consultants, taking cases from law enforcement agencies as needed rather than holding a salaried position. The American Anthropological Association notes that forensic anthropologists work across police departments, universities, and museums, reflecting the reality that most careers in this field are cobbled together from multiple roles rather than anchored to a single full-time position.
The projected growth for the broader anthropology field over the next decade is only about 300 new jobs total, reinforcing how slowly this market expands. For someone passionate about the work, the path forward usually involves flexibility: building expertise that translates across forensic science, academia, and consulting, rather than waiting for one of the few dedicated positions to open up.