Careers in History

Careers available to those with a degree in History generally involve research or instruction.

Some sample careers and median yearly earnings:

Archaeologist ($73,410 per year)*
Archivist ($66,911 per year)*
Attorney ($165,307 per year)*
Curator ($74,787 per year)*
Education Administrator ($128,470 per year)*
History Professor ($112,701 per year)*
Judicial Law Clerk ($72,002 per year)*
Law Professor ($139,433 per year)*
Legislative Assistant ($60,000 per year, NY Federal Reserve)
Legal Arbitrator, Mediator, and Conciliator ($110,334 per year)*
Political Science Professor ($116,405 per year)*
State Politician ($120,000+ per year, California Compensation Commission)
Research Historian ($75,532 per year)*
Reporter, Correspondent ($65,000 per year, NY Federal Reserve)
Secondary School (K-12) Teacher ($90,214 per year)
Social Worker ($74,593 per year)
Writer, Author, Editor ($92,540 per year)

Most, if not all, of the above careers require a Bachelor’s (BA) degree.

Careers marked with one asterisk* will most likely require one or more of the following, in addition to a BA: a credential, a certificate, a Master’s (MA) degree, or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

California median salary information provided by the California Employment Development Department except where otherwise noted. Additional sources of information: