Career
Historians
Research and tell the story of the past.
$76,750
Median pay
+3.0%
Job growth, 2025–35
300
Openings a year
Master's degree
Typical education
6 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as from books, pamphlets, and periodicals.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Writing, Critical Thinking, Active Listening.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
6 years of education after high school (master's degree), for a median of $76,750 a year and 300 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- HistorySee the degree →
- Architectural History and Criticism, GeneralCIP 04.0801
- Architectural ConservationCIP 04.0802
- Historic Preservation and Conservation, GeneralCIP 30.1201
- Cultural Resource Management and Policy AnalysisCIP 30.1202
- Historic Preservation and Conservation, OtherCIP 30.1299
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Anthropologists and Archeologists$70,770 · +6.0%
- Archivists$64,550 · +3.4%
- Curators$63,420 · +4.9%
- History Teachers, Postsecondary$83,820 · +0.0%
- Geographers$102,040 · -2.1%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.