What Does a Forensic Anthropologist Do?
A forensic anthropologist uses what is known about the human skeleton to help identify a person and understand a death. When remains are decomposed, burned, or skeletonized and can’t be recognized by sight, a medical examiner or investigator can bring one in. The National Institute of Justice lists age at death, sex, stature, and ancestry, plus injuries and the time since death, as what skeletal examination can tell investigators.
It isn’t only dry bone. The American Board of Forensic Anthropology (ABFA) says a forensic anthropologist can also assist with fleshed, decomposed, burned, and skeletonized remains, in the field, the mortuary, or the laboratory. Many help search for and recover remains, and after an identification they may testify in court about who the person was or what injuries the bones show.
The University of Tennessee’s forensic center is just as clear about what the job leaves out. A forensic anthropologist doesn’t run DNA tests, analyze ballistics or blood spatter, collect trace evidence, or conduct autopsies. Those belong to other specialists, so the real work is narrower and more skeletal than television suggests.
It is also heavy. The Center says the sights and odors of decomposition are everyday occurrences and that many cases are sad and disturbing. Most people who commit to the field handle that, but you should know it before you spend years on the degree.
- Help locate and recover human remains at a scene
- Clean the bones so they can be examined
- Establish a biological profile: age, sex, ancestry, and height
- Interpret injuries visible on the bone
- Estimate how long ago the person died
- Testify about identity or injuries when a case reaches court
Sources: ABFA: American Board Home Page · University of Tennessee: Becoming a Forensic Anthropologist · National Institute of Justice: Skeletal Examination
Forensic Anthropologist Education Requirements
Most forensic anthropologists hold a PhD. The University of Tennessee’s forensic center says you need a doctorate to practice, and BLS lists a master’s as the usual entry qualification for the wider anthropologist group. The certifying board, known as the ABFA, asks for at least a master’s with a biological or forensic emphasis at its first level, and a PhD at its second.
Source: BLS: Anthropologists and Archeologists
Degrees to Consider
Ranked Programs for This Career
Forensic Anthropologist Salary
The national median annual wage for anthropologists and archeologists was $70,770 in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $49,050 and the 90th percentile was $108,060.
BLS has no separate category for forensic anthropologists. O*NET lists the title under anthropologists and archeologists (SOC 19-3091), so these are the closest figures. Because most forensic anthropologists work at universities and consult on cases when needed, a university salary is the nearest picture of the job.
Pay varies by location. Forensic Anthropologist Pay by State.
- 10th Percentile
- $49,050
- Median
- $70,770
- 90th Percentile
- $108,060
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, U.S. estimates for Anthropologists and Archeologists (SOC 19-3091); 8,990 employed. These figures cover workers across experience levels. They describe occupational wages, not starting offers or earnings for everyone with a particular major. How We Read the Data.
Where Do Forensic Anthropologists Work?
The ABFA says the majority of forensic anthropologists are employed by academic or research institutions and consult on cases when the need arises. The Tennessee center describes the same pattern: most teach and do research in other areas of anthropology in addition to their casework. In practice, you’d be a professor who takes cases.
Others work inside medical examiner’s offices or in the armed forces. A smaller number join teams that investigate war crimes involving mass graves, for ad hoc tribunals and nongovernmental organizations.
The need for the skill shows up in federal numbers. NamUs, the national database for missing and unidentified persons, offers free skeletal analysis to investigators and reports that medical examiner and coroner offices held more than 11,000 sets of unidentified human remains in the 2018 Census of Medical Examiners and Coroners.
Sources: ABFA: How to Prepare for the Career · University of Tennessee: Becoming a Forensic Anthropologist · NamUs: National Missing and Unidentified Persons System
Which Degree Do You Need for Forensic Anthropology?
Start with an anthropology major. The ABFA says undergraduate degrees in this specialty are rare, but many schools let you focus on forensics within a general anthropology major. Its coursework list includes human osteology, human anatomy, evolutionary theory, statistics, biology, and chemistry.
Other majors can work too. The board names biology and anatomy, forensic sciences, criminology and criminal justice, sociology, pre-law, and pre-med as relevant degrees. An archaeological field school is marked as highly recommended, particularly courses that involve mortuary analysis.
The next step is graduate study in biological anthropology. A master’s in biological anthropology, ideally with a forensic emphasis, is the minimum for the board’s first certification level. The Tennessee center says a doctorate is needed to practice.
This is a skeletal science, so it sits apart from clinical and forensic psychology, which work with the mind and the legal system and need a different degree. If you want casework on bones, the route runs through anthropology and anatomy.
Sources: ABFA: How to Prepare for the Career · ABFA: Analyst Certification · University of Tennessee: Becoming a Forensic Anthropologist
How Does ABFA Certification Work?
The ABFA is the only approved certification body for a forensic anthropologist accredited by the Forensic Specialties Accreditation Board. Its certification now has two levels, and each one builds on the one before.
The Analyst level asks for at least a master’s degree in anthropology or a related field, with an emphasis in biological or forensic anthropology, from an accredited U.S. institution. You also submit a training log, three references, and sit an exam of about 150 questions over four hours. The board lists 80% as the passing score.
The Diplomate level requires a PhD with the same emphasis and a current Analyst certificate. You add a case log and two references from people who can speak to your casework, then pass a remote exam. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents unless the board grants a waiver.
Sources: ABFA: American Board Home Page · ABFA: Analyst Certification · ABFA: Diplomate Certification
Is Forensic Anthropologist a Realistic Career Goal?
Yes, if you’re willing to plan for the length of it. The Tennessee center says to expect at least eight to ten years of school after high school to reach a doctorate. The board adds that there are very few opportunities to practice with only a bachelor’s degree.
Each stage still opens doors. A bachelor’s in anthropology prepares you for graduate study and for research support work. A master’s meets the first board certification level. A doctorate leads to the university posts where most forensic anthropologists work, and it also qualifies you for teaching and research across anthropology.
Sources: ABFA: How to Prepare for the Career · University of Tennessee: Becoming a Forensic Anthropologist · BLS: Anthropologists and Archeologists
How to Become a Forensic Anthropologist
Major in Anthropology and Add Anatomy
Take biological anthropology, human osteology, human anatomy, and statistics. If your school offers a forensic course, take it early to see whether the work suits you.
Complete an Archaeological Field School
The ABFA highly recommends one. Choose a program that teaches excavation and recording methods, ideally with mortuary or burial analysis.
Apply to a Graduate Program With Forensic Faculty
Read the faculty pages for biological anthropologists who do casework, and ask how students take part. Decide early whether you are aiming for a master’s or a doctorate.
Log Supervised Casework and Training
Certification asks for a training log and, later, a case log. Keep records of what you did and who supervised it from your first lab or recovery experience.
Seek ABFA Certification
The Analyst level needs a master’s degree, and the Diplomate level needs a doctorate and a current Analyst certificate. Read the board’s current application requirements before you plan your timeline.
Questions About This Career
Do You Need a PhD to Become a Forensic Anthropologist?
Most forensic anthropologists have one. The University of Tennessee’s forensic center says you need a doctorate to practice, and most university posts expect it. The ABFA certifies master’s-level Analysts, and BLS lists a master’s as the usual entry qualification for the wider anthropologist group.
How Much Does a Forensic Anthropologist Make?
BLS reports no separate figure. For anthropologists and archeologists together, the May 2025 median was $70,770, with the 10th percentile at $49,050 and the 90th at $108,060. Many forensic anthropologists work at universities, so faculty pay is the nearest guide.
What Degree Do You Need to Become a Forensic Anthropologist?
An anthropology bachelor’s with biological anthropology, osteology, and anatomy coursework is the usual start. Graduate study in biological anthropology follows. Biology, anatomy, and forensic sciences majors are also on the board’s list of relevant degrees.
Can a Forensic Anthropologist Work With Only a Bachelor’s Degree?
Opportunities are very limited. The ABFA says there are few chances to practice with only a bachelor’s degree, so most people plan for a master’s or doctorate.
Is a Forensic Anthropologist the Same as a Forensic Pathologist?
No. A forensic anthropologist doesn’t conduct autopsies. The role is to examine the skeleton, and forensic anthropologists in some facilities work closely with medical examiners or forensic pathologists.
Sources
Preparation advice connects these requirements to coursework and projects you can evaluate.
- BLS: Anthropologists and Archeologists: Usual entry education for the occupational group and the combined wage scope. BLS has no separate forensic category.
- O*NET: Anthropologists and Archeologists: Forensic Anthropologist appears among the reported job titles for SOC 19-3091; graduate-school preparation level.
- ABFA: American Board Home Page: Definition of the work, the range of remains involved, and the board’s accreditation.
- ABFA: How to Prepare for the Career: Recommended coursework, related majors, field school, and where forensic anthropologists are employed.
- ABFA: Analyst Certification: Master’s-level requirement, training log, references, and exam format.
- ABFA: Diplomate Certification: Doctoral requirement and the Analyst certification prerequisite.
- University of Tennessee: Becoming a Forensic Anthropologist: Casework tasks, tasks outside the job, PhD expectation, and typical employers.
- National Institute of Justice: Skeletal Examination: What skeletal examination can establish about a decedent.
- NamUs: National Missing and Unidentified Persons System: Free skeletal analysis services for investigators and the number of unidentified remains held by medical examiners and coroners.
