Historians: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Life, Physical, and Social Science · SOC 19-3093 · O*NET 19-3093.00
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and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.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 fall under the Life, Physical, and Social Science category in the U.S. occupational classification. Historians earn a median salary of $76,750 per year, ranking in the top 31% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +3.0% job growth through 2035, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do historians earn?
The median annual wage for historians is $76,750. That puts historians at #258 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $42,730 |
| 25th percentile | $57,290 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $76,750 |
| 75th percentile | $99,990 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $131,810 |
| Median hourly wage | $36.90/hr |
Is historians a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for historians is +3.0%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 3K positions in 2024 to 3K in 2034, a net change of <1K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do historians do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working historians, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Organize data, and analyze and interpret its authenticity and relative significance.
- 2.Conserve and preserve manuscripts, records, and other artifacts.
- 3.Interview people to gather information about historical events and to record oral histories.
- 4.Trace historical development in a particular field, such as social, cultural, political, or diplomatic history.
- 5.Present historical accounts in terms of individuals or social, ethnic, political, economic, or geographic groupings.
- 6.Research and prepare manuscripts in support of public programming and the development of exhibits at historic sites, museums, libraries, and archives.
- 7.Speak to various groups, organizations, and clubs to promote the aims and activities of historical societies.
- 8.Determine which topics to research, or pursue research topics specified by clients or employers.
Top skills for historians
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become historian?
The standard path into historians begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents: what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about historians
What is the median salary for historians?
The median annual salary for historians is $76,750 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is historians a growing career?
BLS projects +3.0% growth for historians from 2025 through 2035, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become historian?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to historians?
Related occupations within the Life, Physical, and Social Science category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 release.