The median pay for Historians is $76,750 a year ($36.90/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 3.0% through 2035, with about 300 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 19-3093
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
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: Collections Specialist, County Historian, Historian, Historic Architectural Resources Curator, Historic Interpreter, Historic Preservation Coordinator.
Pay
How much do Historians make?
Every 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 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.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Organizations that employ historians, such as historical societies and government agencies, often depend on donations or public funding. Thus, employment growth will depend largely on the amount of funding available.
Getting in
How to become a Historian
Historians typically need at least a master’s degree to enter the occupation. Those with a bachelor’s degree in history may qualify for some entry-level positions.
- 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 a Historian do?
Research, analyze, record, and interpret the past as recorded in sources, such as government and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.
Historians research, analyze, interpret, and write about the past by studying historical documents and sources.
Day-to-day tasks
- Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as from books, pamphlets, and periodicals.
- Determine which topics to research, or pursue research topics specified by clients or employers.
- Present historical accounts in terms of individuals or social, ethnic, political, economic, or geographic groupings.
- Organize information for publication and for other means of dissemination, such as via storage media or the Internet.
- Conduct historical research, and publish or present findings and theories.
- Organize data, and analyze and interpret its authenticity and relative significance.
- Interview people to gather information about historical events and to record oral histories.
- Research the history of a particular country or region, or of a specific time period.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most historians work full time during regular business hours. Some work independently and are able to set their own schedules. Historians who work in museums or other institutions open to the public may work evenings or weekends.
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.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. 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.
Where historians work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Professional, scientific, and technical services24%
- Federal government, excluding postal service20%
- Local government, excluding education and hospitals19%
- State government, excluding education and hospitals14%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 24% |
| Federal government, excluding postal service | 20% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 19% |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 14% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
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 a Historian?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Historian |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| 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.
- Investigative5.3
- Conventional4.9
- Artistic3.7
- 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 Historian
O*NET related occupations
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- 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
- 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 |
| Historian | $76,750 |
| Conservation Scientist | $73,010 |
| Chemical Technician | $60,390 |
| Biological Technician | $57,510 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within historian
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Historian appears on
Questions
Historian: frequently asked questions
How much do Historians make?
Historians earn a median of $76,750 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 51% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $36.90/hr. The middle half earn between $57,290 and $99,990. The top 10% earn $131,810 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a 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 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 a Historian do?
Historians research, analyze, interpret, and write about the past by studying historical documents and sources. A core O*NET task: gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as from books, pamphlets, and periodicals. 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 a 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.