Historians salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,730 | $20.55 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $76,750 | $36.90 |
| Mean (average) | $81,240 | $39.06 |
| 90th percentile | $131,810 | $63.37 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Historians pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 35 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $72,490 | $42,300 | $122,930 | 60 | 1.2 |
| California | $97,420 | $60,620 | $146,220 | 210 | 0.52 |
| Connecticut | $66,770 | $38,960 | $116,130 | 40 | 1.03 |
| District of Columbia | $118,290 | $60,160 | $156,750 | 250 | 16.3 |
| Florida | $74,740 | $44,280 | $112,260 | 110 | 0.52 |
| Georgia | $63,840 | $51,430 | $117,780 | 110 | 1.05 |
| Hawaii | $92,520 | $80,290 | $143,020 | 70 | 4.86 |
| Illinois | $89,670 | $71,190 | $111,650 | ||
| Indiana | $63,770 | $43,320 | $125,290 | 30 | 0.49 |
| Kansas | $72,600 | $49,610 | $124,950 | 40 | 1.15 |
| Kentucky | $63,530 | $42,260 | $98,530 | 50 | 1.06 |
| Louisiana | $80,620 | $52,960 | $115,210 | 60 | 1.37 |
| Maryland | $120,580 | $68,260 | $170,980 | 50 | 0.74 |
| Massachusetts | $121,710 | $59,330 | $127,160 | ||
| Michigan | $62,920 | $52,480 | $86,030 | 80 | 0.82 |
| Minnesota | $103,040 | $72,040 | $147,950 | 50 | 0.73 |
| Mississippi | $46,010 | $34,760 | $69,760 | 90 | 3.37 |
| Missouri | $64,230 | $38,270 | $105,060 | 50 | 0.71 |
| Nebraska | $70,050 | $48,840 | $128,940 | 30 | 1.53 |
| Nevada | $80,140 | $78,030 | $108,620 | ||
| New Jersey | $77,080 | $51,390 | $105,930 | 130 | 1.39 |
| New Mexico | $66,790 | $32,760 | $122,770 | 40 | 2.16 |
| New York | $62,960 | $34,300 | $107,970 | 410 | 1.9 |
| North Carolina | $73,440 | $42,980 | $116,620 | 120 | 1.05 |
| Ohio | $60,350 | $57,540 | $99,690 | ||
| Oklahoma | $50,980 | $39,290 | $88,710 | 50 | 1.44 |
| Oregon | $99,560 | $66,420 | $121,280 | 40 | 0.88 |
| Pennsylvania | $71,970 | $55,350 | $96,100 | 70 | 0.53 |
| South Carolina | $52,120 | $39,090 | $97,470 | 60 | 1.11 |
| Tennessee | $71,080 | $47,090 | $92,270 | 40 | 0.56 |
| Texas | $78,240 | $37,600 | $116,900 | 130 | 0.41 |
| Utah | $33,840 | $33,840 | $95,300 | 80 | 2.2 |
| Virginia | $101,920 | $65,680 | $161,470 | 180 | 1.99 |
| Washington | $99,720 | $65,480 | $116,840 | 30 | 0.41 |
| Wisconsin | $45,810 | $37,510 | $84,590 | 50 | 0.78 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for historians
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 300. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 5.5%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for historians
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Architectural History and Criticism, General CIP 04.0801
- Architectural Conservation CIP 04.0802
- Historic Preservation and Conservation, General CIP 30.1201
- Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis CIP 30.1202
- Historic Preservation and Conservation, Other CIP 30.1299
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies CIP 30.1301
- Holocaust and Related Studies CIP 30.2101
- Ancient Studies/Civilization CIP 30.2201
- Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology CIP 30.2202
- Classical and Ancient Studies, Other CIP 30.2299
- Maritime Studies CIP 30.2901
- History and Language/Literature CIP 30.4501
- History and Political Science CIP 30.4601
- Medical/Health Humanities CIP 51.3204
- History of Medicine CIP 51.3205
- History, General CIP 54.0101
- American History (United States) CIP 54.0102
- European History CIP 54.0103
- History and Philosophy of Science and Technology CIP 54.0104
- Public/Applied History CIP 54.0105
- Asian History CIP 54.0106
- Canadian History CIP 54.0107
- Military History CIP 54.0108
- History, Other CIP 54.0199
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as from books, pamphlets, and periodicals.
- Organize data, and analyze and interpret its authenticity and relative significance.
- Prepare publications and exhibits, or review those prepared by others, to ensure their historical accuracy.
- Organize information for publication and for other means of dissemination, such as via storage media or the Internet.
- Conduct historical research as a basis for the identification, conservation, and reconstruction of historic places and materials.
- Conserve and preserve manuscripts, records, and other artifacts.
- Present historical accounts in terms of individuals or social, ethnic, political, economic, or geographic groupings.
- Research the history of a particular country or region, or of a specific time period.
Technology skills
- Adobe Acrobat (in demand)
- ESRI ArcGIS software (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Microsoft Word (in demand)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Structured query language SQL (hot technology)
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Archival databases
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Social Perceptiveness, Instructing, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, Time Management.
Common job titles: Collections Specialist, County Historian, Historian, Historic Architectural Resources Curator, Historic Interpreter, Historic Preservation Coordinator, Historic Sites Registrar, Historical Interpreter, Research Historian, Researcher.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do historians make?
The national median annual wage for historians was $76,750 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $42,730 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $131,810. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do historians need?
BLS lists master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is historians a growing career?
BLS projects employment of historians to change +3.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 300 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay historians the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Massachusetts ($121,710), Maryland ($120,580), District of Columbia ($118,290). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.