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Museums and Cultural Institutions
Smithsonian Institution, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Getty Museum
Historians
Historians dig through letters, court records, newspapers, photos, and other primary sources to reconstruct what happened and why it mattered. The work stands out because the job is less about memorizing dates than about judging which sources are trustworthy, reconciling conflicting evidence, and turning that research into writing, exhibits, or talks. The tradeoff is that the field is small and usually requires graduate training, so competition can be tough even when the work itself is rewarding.
Also known as Historical ResearcherResearch HistorianPublic HistorianMuseum HistorianHistory Researcher
Median Salary
$74,050
Mean $78,470
U.S. Workforce
~3K
0.3K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+2.2%
3.4K to 3.5K
Entry Education
Master's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Historians sits in the Education category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~3K workers, with a median annual pay of $74,050 and roughly 0.3K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 3.4 K in 2024 to 3.5K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Master's Degree, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Historical Research Assistant and can progress toward Lead Historian / Director of Historical Research. High-value skills usually include Archival Research & Primary Source Analysis, Historical Writing, Editing & Citation Management (Zotero, EndNote), and Critical Source Evaluation, paired with soft skills such as Attention to detail, Clear writing, and Curiosity.
Core Responsibilities
- Search through archives, old newspapers, diaries, court files, photos, and books to find useful evidence.
- Check where each source came from, compare conflicting accounts, and decide what information is reliable.
- Interview people and record their memories to preserve oral histories about events and communities.
- Write up findings for articles, reports, talks, exhibits, or books.
Keep exploring: more Education careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Search through archives, old newspapers, diaries, court files, photos, and books to find useful evidence.
02 Check where each source came from, compare conflicting accounts, and decide what information is reliable.
03 Interview people and record their memories to preserve oral histories about events and communities.
04 Write up findings for articles, reports, talks, exhibits, or books.
05 Review exhibits and publications so names, dates, and historical context are accurate.
06 Organize research notes and files so they can be stored, searched, and shared online or in print.
Industries That Hire
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Government and Public History
National Park Service, Library of Congress, National Archives
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Universities and Research Centers
Harvard University, University of Chicago, Stanford University
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Publishing and Media
Britannica, PBS, NPR
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Cultural Resource Management and Preservation
AECOM, Stantec, ICF
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Genealogy and Family History Services
Ancestry, FamilySearch, MyHeritage
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You get to work with original sources instead of guessing from summaries, which makes the job intellectually deep and varied.
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The role mixes research, writing, speaking, and review work, so it rarely feels like the exact same task all day.
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Pay is solid for a humanities career, with a mean annual wage of $78,470 and a median of $74,050.
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The job can build strong niche expertise in a time period, place, or topic, which can make your knowledge especially valuable to museums, agencies, or publishers.
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There is no required on-the-job training, so once you are hired, you are expected to contribute right away rather than spend months in formal apprenticeship.
Challenges
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The labor market is tiny: only about 3,140 people work in the occupation now, and the field is projected to reach just 3.5k by 2034.
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Growth is slow at 2.2%, and annual openings are only about 0.3k, so competition for jobs can be intense.
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A master's degree is the typical entry point, which means extra school time and tuition before you can even compete for many jobs.
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Many historian jobs depend on museum, university, or government budgets, so funding cuts or grant losses can quickly shrink opportunities.
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Routine parts of the work, like source gathering, cataloging, and transcription, are increasingly helped by digital tools and AI, which can narrow the amount of entry-level work available.
Career Progression
Historical Research Assistant
0-2 years
$40K-$55K
Supports senior staff by finding sources, organizing files, and helping with basic research tasks.
Historian
2-6 years
$62K-$82K
Independently researches topics, writes findings, and presents work to clients, the public, or other specialists.
Senior Historian THIS ROLE
6-12 years
$83K-$108K
Leads complex research projects, checks the work of others, and helps shape exhibits, reports, or publications.
Lead Historian / Director of Historical Research
12+ years
$109K-$145K
Oversees research strategy, manages budgets or teams, and decides which projects get priority.
Education Paths
Master's Degree
The main entry route for this job, held by 64.48% of workers in the education distribution.
Bachelor's Degree
An alternative route for people who build strong research or museum experience first, held by 10.19% of workers in the education distribution.
Doctoral Degree
A research-focused route, held by 6.52% of workers in the education distribution, and especially useful for college teaching or highly specialized work.
Museum, Archives, or Public History Certificate
A niche route, held by 0.46% of workers in the education distribution, often used alongside internships or other hands-on experience.
Key Skills
Technical
Archival Research & Primary Source Analysis 94%
Historical Writing, Editing & Citation Management (Zotero, EndNote) 78%
Critical Source Evaluation 78%
Oral History Interviewing & Transcription Tools 75%
Digital Archives & Research Databases (JSTOR, ProQuest, WorldCat) 75%
Records Management, Metadata & Digitization 60%
GIS & Historical Mapping (ArcGIS) 56%
Soft Skills
Attention to detailClear writingCuriosityPatience with long research projectsPublic speakingActive listening Job Outlook and Trends
+2.2%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
0.3K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 3.4K to 3.5 K over the next decade, representing 2.2% growth. Around 0.3 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.