Career
History teachers, postsecondary
Teach history at a college or university.
$83,820
Median pay
+0.0%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,500
Openings a year
Doctoral or professional degree
Typical education
7–8 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as ancient history, postwar civilizations, and the history of third-world countries.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
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 people & care, then ideas & analysis?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Learning Strategies.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
7–8 years of education after high school (doctoral or professional degree), for a median of $83,820 a year and 1,500 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- HistorySee the degree →
- Teaching (by Subject)See the degree →
- History Teacher EducationCIP 13.1328
- Medieval and Renaissance StudiesCIP 30.1301
- Holocaust and Related StudiesCIP 30.2101
- Ancient Studies/CivilizationCIP 30.2201
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$85,020 · +2.7%
- Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary$99,650 · +2.6%
- Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary$84,290 · +2.2%
- Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary$98,070 · +2.5%
- Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary$80,260 · +2.0%
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.