Also, I noticed most job listings for them are temporary, how often must they relocate? Thanks
Field techs are basic archaeological excavators. They have to have a background in archaeology (usually a field school plus a bachelors degree), and they are the ones who dig test pits for surveys, excavate sites, sift dirt to collect artifacts, map sites, and so on. Field techs do the archaeology, but they are not the one in charge of the dig. People higher up work out the funding and contracts and permits, devise the plan for how and where to dig, do the background research (though field techs are sometimes involved in that), and write the final reports. The field techs are also usually the same people who wash, label, and catalog the artifacts in the lab. Field jobs are temporary. If you work for a company that has one job after another you might have the opportunity to keep working for them on a more permanent basis, but even then there will be times when there is no work and you are laid off. Lots of companies will just hire you for a short-term job and then lay you off, so you usually need to be in contact with multiple companies if you want to stay employed. I've worked field jobs that only lasted a couple days, but I've also been a field tech at a major site where I had permanent year-round work. Field tech jobs with CRM companies on average last only a matter of weeks, or sometimes a few months. Relocating somewhere new for each project generally only works if you know the job is longer term (though you still have to relocate after 6 months or a year or two), or if you are travelling around to short term jobs that pay a per diem. For example, a company may have jobs in multiple areas-- you go to those areas for a few weeks at a time and they pay your living expenses while you are there. Lots of companies only work in a specific region, however-- if you get with them, then you'll be commuting to different sites, but can at least have a permanent residence rather than relocating.
