Documents and evaluates historic buildings and landscapes to decide whether they are significant and how projects can protect them. BLS does not publish separate figures for historians; it counts them within historian (SOC 19-3093), whose median pay is $76,750 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 19-3093
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Architectural Historian in four numbers
- Median pay
- $76,750a year, or $36.90/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $43KTop 10% $132K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.0%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3003,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20253.8K
- Projected 20353.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 3.8K Projected 2035 3.9K - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school9.4%
- High school0.8%
- Some college8.2%
- Bachelor's10.2%
- Master's64.5%
- Doctorate6.5%
Highest education held by historians Segment Value Less than high school 9.4% High school 0.8% Some college 8.2% Bachelor's 10.2% Master's 64.5% Doctorate 6.5%
Also advertised as: Historic Preservation Specialist, Preservation Planner, Built Environment Specialist, Senior Architectural Historian, Historic Resources Specialist.
Pay
How much do Historians make?
Every architectural historian in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$76,750
Middle half earn $57,290 to $99,990
- 10th
- $42,730
- 25th
- $57,290
- 75th
- $99,990
- 90th
- $131,810
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $42,730 |
| 25th | $57,290 |
| Median | $76,750 |
| 75th | $99,990 |
| 90th | $131,810 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $76,750
- Median hourly wage
- $36.90/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $81,240
- People employed
- 3,450
Versus all US occupations
At $76,750, Historians earn 51% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $25,770 a year.
Versus life, physical, and social science occupations
Inside the Life, Physical, and Social Science group, where the middle occupation pays $82,220, this is 7% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $131,810 or more while the bottom 10% earn $42,730, a gap of 3.1×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 53% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Massachusetts pays the most at $121,710, and still leads at $115,085 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Historians the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Massachusetts | $121,710 | $115,085 | N/A |
| 2Maryland | $120,580 | $114,883 | 50 |
| 3District of Columbia | $118,290 | $107,633 | 250 |
| 4Minnesota | $103,040 | $104,481 | 50 |
| 5Virginia | $101,920 | $100,807 | 180 |
| 6Washington | $99,720 | $93,185 | 30 |
| 7Oregon | $99,560 | $96,323 | 40 |
| 8California | $97,420 | $87,988 | 210 |
| 9Hawaii | $92,520 | $84,147 | 70 |
| 10Illinois | $89,670 | $89,708 | N/A |
Job outlook
Is Architectural Historian a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Historians | +3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Historians to change 3.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 300 openings are projected each year, 7.9% of the 3,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Architectural Historian
Federal rules define who can do this work. The Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualification Standards require a graduate degree in architectural history, art history, historic preservation or a closely related field, or a bachelor's degree with additional full-time professional experience. Most practitioners hold a master's in historic preservation or architectural history.
The Society of Architectural Historians and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers support the field, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation publishes guidance on the Section 106 process. Many architectural historians start at cultural resource management firms, engineering firms or state historic preservation offices, doing field surveys before writing full reports.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as historians.
- Master's Degree64.5%
- Bachelor's Degree10.2%
- Less than a High School Diploma9.4%
- Some College Courses8.2%
- Doctoral Degree6.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 64.5% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 10.2% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 9.4% |
| Some College Courses | 8.2% |
| Doctoral Degree | 6.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Architectural Historian do?
Architectural historians study buildings, bridges, neighborhoods and landscapes to determine their history and significance. Much of the work happens under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal agencies to consider effects on historic properties before funding or approving projects such as highways, pipelines, cell towers and housing.
In practice, architectural historians survey and photograph properties, research deeds, maps and permits, and evaluate whether each property is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. They write reports and nominations, review renovation plans against the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, and help prepare historic tax credit applications. They work closely with state historic preservation offices, planners and engineers.
Day-to-day tasks
- Survey and photograph historic buildings and districts
- Research property histories using deeds, maps and permits
- Evaluate National Register eligibility of buildings and landscapes
- Write Section 106 technical reports and determinations of effect
- Prepare National Register nominations and historic tax credit applications
- Review renovation plans against the Secretary of the Interior's Standards
- Consult with state historic preservation offices and project teams
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Architectural historians work for cultural resource management and engineering firms, state historic preservation offices, transportation departments, cities and federal agencies. Work alternates between field surveys, which involve driving, walking and photographing buildings in all weather, and research and report writing at a desk. Project travel can be frequent.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes are not usually serious.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.8
- Writing4.1
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Active Learning4.0
- Learning Strategies3.3
- Monitoring3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.8 |
| Writing | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Instructing3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Time Management2.9
- Persuasion2.8
- Negotiation2.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 2.9 |
| Persuasion | 2.8 |
| Negotiation | 2.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Geographic information system · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Architectural Historian?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code IAC) built on O*NET's Historian profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Architectural Historian |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 6 |
| Artistic | 4 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Investigative5.5
- Conventional4.9
- Artistic4.2
- Social3.2
- Realistic2.4
- Enterprising2.4
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Architectural Historian
O*NET related occupations
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
More life, physical, and social science careers
Median annual pay, with historians highlighted
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologist$193,950
- Physicist$172,250
- Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists$103,410
- Chemist$91,240
- Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health$82,220
- Architectural Historian$76,750
- Conservation Scientist$73,010
- Chemical Technician$60,390
- Biological Technician$57,510
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologist | $193,950 |
| Physicist | $172,250 |
| Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists | $103,410 |
| Chemist | $91,240 |
| Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health | $82,220 |
| Architectural Historian | $76,750 |
| Conservation Scientist | $73,010 |
| Chemical Technician | $60,390 |
| Biological Technician | $57,510 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Architectural Historian appears on
Questions
Architectural Historian: frequently asked questions
How much do Historians make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for historians. It counts them within historian, whose median pay is $76,750 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $57,290 and $99,990, and the top 10% earn $131,810 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Architectural Historian?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Historians, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 64.5% hold master's degree.
Is Architectural Historian a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.0% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Architectural Historian do?
Architectural historians study buildings, bridges, neighborhoods and landscapes to determine their history and significance. A typical task: survey and photograph historic buildings and districts. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Data base user interface and query software, Desktop publishing software.
Which states pay Historians the most?
The highest state medians for Historians are Massachusetts ($121,710), Maryland ($120,580), District of Columbia ($118,290) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Architectural Historian?
O*NET scores Historians highest on the Investigative, Conventional and Artistic interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with INTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.