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Historians

Typical education: Master's degreeLower pressure

What they 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and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $76,750 Median per year · $36.90/hr Most earn $42,730–$131,810

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Research and prepare manuscripts in support of public programming and the development of exhibits at historic sites, museums, libraries, and archives.
  • Edit historical society publications.
  • Recommend actions related to historical art, such as which items to add to a collection or which items to display in an exhibit.
  • Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as from books, pamphlets, and periodicals.
  • Organize information for publication and for other means of dissemination, such as via storage media or the Internet.
  • Trace historical development in a particular field, such as social, cultural, political, or diplomatic history.

Job outlook

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 300 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Federal government, excluding postal service20.3%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals18.7%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals14.2%
  • Research and development in the social sciences and humanities13.0%
  • Self-employed (their own business)5.5%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Historian is not usually an entry-level job. Most people need a master's degree and about 2 to 4 years of related work experience first, so the path often takes 6 to 8 years or more after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in history

    4 years

    You build a base in historical research, reading primary sources, and writing clear arguments, which every later step depends on.

  2. Social Science Research Assistant

    2-3 years

    You help researchers find, organize, and analyze sources, which gives you hands-on research experience and shows you how projects are run.

  3. Master's degree in history or public history

    2 years

    You go deeper into a historical field, complete a substantial research project, and learn the methods historians use to publish and present their work.

  4. Historian

    Career level

    You research, interpret, and record the past for government agencies, museums, universities, nonprofits, or other organizations, using the sources you learned to handle in school and at work.

Where it can lead

  1. Curator

    2-4 years as a historian of experience first

    You take on responsibility for a museum's or archive's collections, exhibits, and acquisitions, and usually need a strong record of research and management experience.

  2. History Teacher, Postsecondary

    2-4 years of related experience of experience first

    You teach history at college level and do original research and publishing, which usually requires a doctoral degree in addition to your experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take history, English, and writing-focused classesStrong reading and writing skills are the core of historical research and are used every day in this career.
  • Join a history or social studies club or a debate teamThese groups help you practice examining evidence, building arguments, and presenting them to others.
  • Volunteer at a local museum, historical society, or libraryYou can see how historical records are kept and shared, and you may get to help with archiving or research tasks.
  • Start a small local history projectInterviewing older relatives or neighbors, or researching your town's past, gives you practice working with primary sources.
  • Learn to use a spreadsheet and basic research toolsOrganizing data and searching databases are useful skills in modern historical work.

In college

  • Major in history and take courses in research methodsA history major builds the subject knowledge and source-analysis skills you need before graduate school.
  • Work as a research assistant for a professorThis gives you real research experience and a reference who can support your graduate school applications.
  • Get a campus or town job at an archive, library, or museumWorking with collections teaches you how historical materials are handled, catalogued, and protected.
  • Write for the student newspaper or a history journalPublishing your writing helps you build a portfolio and practice explaining historical ideas to general audiences.
  • Consider a language course or a second languageMany historical sources are in other languages, and knowing one can open up more research options.

Tips for getting started

  • Get experience with real sources early, such as working on a local history project, transcribing old records, or helping at a museum or library. Employers look for hands-on research skills.
  • Strengthen your writing. Historians spend much of their time writing reports, grant proposals, and articles, so practice explaining ideas clearly and briefly.
  • Talk with working historians or archivists through school events, library programs, or informational interviews. They can tell you which graduate programs and jobs fit your interests.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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