Many archaeologists work for the federal government. The U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have about 800 archaeologists among them. Many archaeologists also work for state government agencies. Every state has a State Historic Preservation Office with one or more archaeologists on staff. In addition, other archaeologists work in state parks departments, highway departments, and water resource departments.
Some cities also hire archaeologists to handle local ordinances protecting archaeological sites.
Federal and state laws that protect the environment include protection for important archaeological sites. Construction projects often require archaeological surveys to locate prehistoric or historic sites and the excavation of some sites before construction can begin. Federal and state archaeologists are involved in making these decisions and supervising the archaeologists who perform the work. Most government positions require an M.A. degree. Private sector archaeologists .