SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 19-3093.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $42,730 | $3,561 | $822 | $20.55 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $57,290 | $4,774 | $1,102 | $27.54 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $76,750 | $6,396 | $1,476 | $36.90 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $99,990 | $8,332 | $1,923 | $48.07 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $131,810 | $10,984 | $2,535 | $63.37 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Historians is $76,750, which is 51% higher. Among the 48 occupations of the field Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks number 31 by median pay. With 3,450 jobs, it makes up about 0.2 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Historians pay by state
The highest median pay was in Massachusetts ($121,710), Maryland ($120,580) and District of Columbia ($118,290). The lowest was in Utah ($33,840), Wisconsin ($45,810) and Mississippi ($46,010). The most jobs were in New York (410), District of Columbia (250) and California (210). The occupation is most concentrated in District of Columbia, where its share of all jobs is 16.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | not published | $121,710 | $112,310 | $58.51 |
| Maryland | 50 | $120,580 | $115,840 | $57.97 |
| District of Columbia | 250 | $118,290 | $113,140 | $56.87 |
| Minnesota | 50 | $103,040 | $111,290 | $49.54 |
| Virginia | 180 | $101,920 | $107,970 | $49.00 |
| Washington | 30 | $99,720 | $96,270 | $47.94 |
| Oregon | 40 | $99,560 | $96,360 | $47.87 |
| California | 210 | $97,420 | $100,750 | $46.84 |
| Hawaii | 70 | $92,520 | $101,310 | $44.48 |
| Illinois | not published | $89,670 | $90,280 | $43.11 |
| Louisiana | 60 | $80,620 | $78,840 | $38.76 |
| Nevada | not published | $80,140 | $89,870 | $38.53 |
| Texas | 130 | $78,240 | $77,250 | $37.62 |
| New Jersey | 130 | $77,080 | $78,220 | $37.06 |
| Florida | 110 | $74,740 | $76,700 | $35.93 |
| North Carolina | 120 | $73,440 | $74,300 | $35.31 |
| Kansas | 40 | $72,600 | $79,460 | $34.90 |
| Alabama | 60 | $72,490 | $77,820 | $34.85 |
| Pennsylvania | 70 | $71,970 | $78,210 | $34.60 |
| Tennessee | 40 | $71,080 | $71,860 | $34.17 |
| Nebraska | 30 | $70,050 | $83,380 | $33.68 |
| New Mexico | 40 | $66,790 | $72,850 | $32.11 |
| Connecticut | 40 | $66,770 | $78,620 | $32.10 |
| Missouri | 50 | $64,230 | $70,360 | $30.88 |
| Georgia | 110 | $63,840 | $74,570 | $30.69 |
| Indiana | 30 | $63,770 | $69,780 | $30.66 |
| Kentucky | 50 | $63,530 | $64,840 | $30.54 |
| New York | 410 | $62,960 | $68,200 | $30.27 |
| Michigan | 80 | $62,920 | $68,190 | $30.25 |
| Ohio | not published | $60,350 | $68,170 | $29.01 |
| South Carolina | 60 | $52,120 | $61,470 | $25.06 |
| Oklahoma | 50 | $50,980 | $61,060 | $24.51 |
| Mississippi | 90 | $46,010 | $50,110 | $22.12 |
| Wisconsin | 50 | $45,810 | $53,030 | $22.03 |
| Utah | 80 | $33,840 | $44,470 | $16.27 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$82,220 a year
- Soil and Plant Scientists$78,850 a year
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists$76,780 a year
- Foresters$76,400 a year
- Conservation Scientists$73,010 a year
- Forensic Science Technicians$72,060 a year
Common questions
How much do Historians earn in the United States?
The median pay was $76,750 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $42,730 and the highest-paid 10% more than $131,810.
How many people work as Historians?
About 3,450 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.