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What Can You Do With a History Degree? Jobs (2026)
Key takeaway: Most history graduates do not work as historians. That occupation employed 3,400 people in 2024 and has about 300 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). The degree reaches teaching, archives, museums, libraries, records and research work, and writing. Secondary school teaching is the largest destination by a wide margin, at a median annual wage of $72,040 and 66,200 openings a year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Archives and curation pay less than the historian median and generally require a master's.
A history degree is training in evidence and argument rather than preparation for one job title. That is why the honest answer to “what can you do with it” starts with the occupations that actually hire, in the order of how many people they hire, rather than with the one that shares the degree’s name.
Jobs you can get with a history degree
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Annual openings |
|---|---|---|
| History teachers, postsecondary | $83,820 | 1,700 |
| Writers and authors | $76,910 | 13,400 |
| Historians | $76,750 | 300 |
| Secondary school teachers | $72,040 | 66,200 |
| Librarians and media collections specialists | $68,270 | 13,500 |
| Archivists | $64,550 | 1,100 |
| Curators | $63,420 | 1,800 |
| Museum technicians and conservators | $51,440 | 1,900 |
View the data behind this chart
| Occupation | Avg. annual openings |
|---|---|
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 66,200/yr |
| Librarians and Media Collections Specialists | 13,500/yr |
| Writers and Authors | 13,400/yr |
| Museum Technicians and Conservators | 1,900/yr |
| Curators | 1,800/yr |
| History Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,700/yr |
| Archivists | 1,100/yr |
| Historians | 300/yr |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national medians and BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034. Median means half of workers in the occupation earned more and half earned less. Read the openings column alongside the wage column: the highest-paying occupation here is also one of the hardest to enter.
Secondary school teacher. This is where most history majors end up, teaching social studies, government, and history in middle and high schools. The national median annual wage was $72,040 – the 10th percentile at $48,780 and the 90th at $107,600 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment stood at 1,094,500 in 2024 and is projected to decline 1.6 percent through 2034, yet the occupation still generates 66,200 openings a year because of replacement needs (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Entry requires a state teaching license, not just the subject degree. That license comes from an approved preparation program with supervised student teaching, taken either alongside the bachelor’s or afterward. See the education program guide for how those routes work.
Historian. The occupation the degree names, and a small one. The national median annual wage was $76,750 – the 10th percentile at $42,730 and the 90th at $131,810 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 3,400 in 2024, projected to grow 2.2 percent through 2034, with about 300 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). These positions sit in federal and state agencies, the military history offices, historical societies, consulting firms doing environmental or litigation research, and corporate archives. A graduate degree is the norm, and the work is often contract research rather than a permanent post.
Archivist. Archivists appraise, arrange, describe, and preserve records so other people can use them. The national median annual wage was $64,550 – the 10th percentile at $39,970 and the 90th at $110,550 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 9,300 in 2024, projected to grow 3.8 percent, with 1,100 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Hiring is at the master’s level, and postings increasingly ask for digital records skills: metadata standards, digitization workflows, and electronic records management. Compare the library science program guide, since many archives employers prefer an accredited library and information science degree.
Curator and museum technician. Curators develop collections and exhibitions; museum technicians and conservators handle, prepare, and stabilize objects. Curators had a median annual wage of $63,420 with a 10th percentile of $40,470 and a 90th of $107,140. Museum technicians and conservators had a median of $51,440 with a 10th percentile of $33,780 and a 90th of $87,530 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Curator employment is projected to grow 7.0 percent with 1,800 openings a year, and museum technicians 5.4 percent with 1,900 openings (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). This is the fastest-growing branch on the list. It is also the branch where unpaid or low-paid internships are most common early, and where geography constrains the search.
Librarian and media collections specialist. A large occupation with steady hiring: a median annual wage of $68,270 – a 10th percentile of $43,660 and a 90th of $103,990 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), 142,100 employed in 2024, 1.7 percent projected growth, and 13,500 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Special collections and archives roles inside libraries are where a history background is a direct advantage. The credential is the master’s in library and information science.
Postsecondary history teacher. The highest median on this list at $83,820 – a 10th percentile of $48,410 and a 90th of $162,160 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 24,600 in 2024, projected to decline 0.2 percent, with 1,700 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Four-year positions generally require a PhD; community colleges commonly hire at the master’s level. Much of the teaching in this field is done on adjunct contracts, which is a different job from a full-time appointment.
Writer and author. A common destination for history graduates who keep writing: narrative nonfiction, editorial work, research writing, and content roles that need someone who can verify a claim. The median annual wage was $76,910 – the 10th percentile at $44,310 and the 90th at $139,870 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), and 13,400 openings a year against 3.6 percent projected growth (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Much of this work is freelance, and freelance income is variable.
What the degree level changes
The bachelor’s is a general credential plus research training. The online bachelor’s in history is enough for licensed teaching, for entry-level research, records, and government roles, and for law school. It is not enough for professional archives or curation.
The online master’s in history is what the history-specific occupations hire on. A public history track with a practicum points at archives, museums, and preservation. An academic MA points at community college teaching and doctoral study. A PhD is the requirement for most four-year faculty positions in an occupation that is projected to shrink.
Nothing in history is licensed except teaching. That is the one place where a credential, not a transcript, decides whether you can be hired.
Common questions
What jobs can you get with a history degree?
The occupations the degree most often reaches are secondary school teacher, historian, archivist, curator, museum technician and conservator, librarian, postsecondary history teacher, and writer. Common titles beyond those include records manager, research analyst, policy researcher, legal assistant, and program coordinator at a historical society or agency.
How much do history majors make?
Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national medians for the associated occupations are $83,820 for postsecondary history teachers, $76,910 for writers and authors, $76,750 for historians, $72,040 for secondary school teachers, $68,270 for librarians and media collections specialists, $64,550 for archivists, $63,420 for curators, and $51,440 for museum technicians and conservators. Wages within each occupation vary widely by employer and region.
Can you get a job with just a history degree?
Yes, and most graduates do, but usually not one with historian in the title. The bachelor’s works as a general four-year credential in research, records, government, education support, and writing roles. The graduates who do best pair it with something specific: a teaching license, an applied skill such as digital collections or statistics, or a graduate credential.
Which of these careers pays best?
Postsecondary history teaching carries the highest national median at $83,820. Writers and authors follow at $76,910 and historians at $76,750 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). The highest median is not the most open door: postsecondary teaching has 1,700 openings a year and requires a doctorate for most positions, while secondary teaching has 66,200 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034).
Is a history degree worth it?
It is worth it if you use it deliberately: pair it with a license, a graduate credential, or an applied skill, and build a record of research and writing employers can read. It is a poor choice if you expect the major alone to place you in a job with the same name. The is a history degree worth it page walks through the trade-offs.
Keep exploring
- Start at the history program hub, then compare levels: online bachelor’s and online master’s.
- Walk through how to become a historian, or weigh the trade-offs on is it worth it.
- Find programs near you at the state index.
- Compare related fields: political science, library science, education, liberal arts, and journalism.
Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.