Occupation · SOC 19-3093
Historians
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and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.
Median wage
$74,050
$38,630–$128,500
Projected growth
+2.9%
Slower than average
Annual openings
10
per year
Employed (US)
3,140
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
784 mapped
Core skills
Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingWritingActive ListeningSpeakingActive LearningSocial PerceptivenessInstructingJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem SolvingMonitoringLearning StrategiesCoordinationTime ManagementManagement of Personnel ResourcesPersuasionScienceService OrientationSystems EvaluationSystems AnalysisNegotiationOperations AnalysisMathematicsManagement of Material ResourcesOperations MonitoringManagement of Financial ResourcesTechnology DesignQuality Control AnalysisProgrammingTroubleshootingRepairingOperation and ControlInstallationEquipment SelectionEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
History and ArcheologyEnglish LanguageCustomer and Personal ServiceAdministrativeGeographyEducation and TrainingSociology and AnthropologyCommunications and MediaComputers and ElectronicsFine ArtsAdministration and ManagementPhilosophy and TheologyMathematicsDesignSales and MarketingPublic Safety and SecurityPsychologyLaw and GovernmentEconomics and AccountingProduction and ProcessingBuilding and ConstructionForeign LanguagePersonnel and Human ResourcesMechanicalTelecommunicationsTransportationChemistryBiologyEngineering and TechnologyMedicine and DentistryPhysicsFood ProductionTherapy and Counseling
Technology & tools
Adobe AcrobatAdobe DreamweaverAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopArchival databasesArchiveGridArchives WikiAudio editing softwareCorel WordPerfect Office SuiteDatabase management systemsDigital image collectionsDigital mapping softwareESRI ArcGIS softwareEmail softwareExtensible markup language XMLGeographic information system GIS softwareGeographic information system GIS systemsGoogle Books NGram ViewerGutenberg-eIBM SPSS StatisticsLibrary of Congress digital collectionsLinkedInMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Active Server Pages ASPMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft WordNational Archives online databasesNational Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC)Page markersProQuest Archive FinderQuarkXPressReference management softwareRelational database management system RDMSScanning softwareSearchable online catalogsSmithsonian Institution digital archivesStatistical analysis software
Representative tasks
Getting InformationInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersThinking CreativelyDocumenting/Recording InformationIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsProcessing InformationPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsWorking with ComputersUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeAnalyzing Data or InformationCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersPerforming Administrative ActivitiesScheduling Work and ActivitiesEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsCoaching and Developing OthersMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsTraining and Teaching OthersEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationDeveloping and Building TeamsSelling or Influencing OthersResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersPerforming General Physical ActivitiesHandling and Moving ObjectsGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesStaffing Organizational UnitsAssisting and Caring for OthersInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentControlling Machines and ProcessesRepairing and Maintaining Mechanical EquipmentDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Archival sources such as court records, diaries, and periodicals — locate and retrieve under faculty or senior historian guidance in institutional repositories.Primary and secondary source materials — distinguish and categorize with direction from supervising researchers in an academic or government history program.Historical data gathered from archives and news files — organize into structured formats using document management software under established project protocols.Draft historical summaries and research notes — compose using word processing software following departmental style guidelines and editorial feedback.Geographic and chronological scope of a research assignment — identify and define with supervisor input before beginning archival fieldwork.Manuscript handling and preservation protocols — apply under supervision when processing fragile records or photographs in a special collections environment.Competing interpretations of historical events — recognize and document with guidance from senior colleagues during literature review phases.Research findings on a specific time period or region — present in structured written reports to seminar groups or project teams.Information retrieval and database search tools — employ to surface relevant historical records across digitized archives and library catalogs.Oral or written source materials — listen to and read attentively to extract historically significant details during supervised data-collection tasks.
developing
Archival records, photographs, and periodicals — gather and cross-reference independently to build an evidentiary base for a defined historical research project.Authenticity and relative significance of historical data — analyze and interpret using established critical frameworks with limited peer review oversight.Historical manuscripts and artifacts — conserve and preserve by applying archival standards and materials in a museum, library, or records-management setting.Publications and public exhibits — prepare or review for historical accuracy, incorporating primary sources and current scholarly consensus.Research on a specific country, region, or time period — conduct and synthesize into coherent narratives suitable for professional or public audiences.Historical accounts framed around social, ethnic, political, or economic groupings — construct and present in written monographs or conference papers.Findings from historical research — organize and format for digital dissemination via institutional websites, databases, or storage media using desktop publishing tools.Complex historiographical problems — apply inductive and deductive reasoning to generate plausible interpretations within recognized scholarly conventions.Colleagues, archivists, and subject-matter stakeholders — coordinate with to gather contextual information and validate source interpretations during mid-scale research projects.Map creation and geographic information tools — use to situate historical research findings within spatial and regional analytical frameworks.
proficient
Multisource historical evidence from archives, court records, diaries, and digital repositories — gather, authenticate, and synthesize autonomously across complex, multi-year research projects.Authenticity, provenance, and interpretive weight of primary sources — evaluate independently, resolving ambiguities and contradictions through advanced critical analysis.Book-length publications, peer-reviewed articles, and major exhibits — author or substantively revise, ensuring historical accuracy and scholarly rigor for academic or public audiences.Historic places and materials — research and assess to provide expert guidance on identification, conservation, and reconstruction in heritage-preservation contexts.Historical accounts spanning social, ethnic, political, economic, and geographic dimensions — construct and present with nuanced interdisciplinary integration at national conferences or in flagship publications.Non-routine gaps in the historical record — address through creative triangulation of indirect evidence, oral histories, and comparative methodologies.Digital and print dissemination strategies — design and execute to maximize scholarly and public reach of historical research using web publishing and multimedia tools.Emerging debates in historiography — monitor, engage, and contribute to by producing original analyses that advance knowledge within the discipline.Graduate students, junior researchers, and public historians — mentor and instruct in research methodology, source criticism, and scholarly writing within university or institutional settings.Cross-disciplinary teams including archaeologists, archivists, and policy analysts — lead on projects requiring integrated historical expertise and coordinated judgment under ambiguous evidentiary conditions.
advanced
Institutional research agendas and long-range scholarly priorities — set and champion at the departmental, institutional, or national professional-association level.Major publication programs, exhibition series, and public history initiatives — direct and oversee, establishing standards of historical accuracy and interpretive excellence across large teams.Field-wide methodological frameworks for source authentication and historical analysis — develop and disseminate through landmark publications, keynote addresses, and discipline-shaping handbooks.National or international preservation and conservation policy — inform and influence by translating deep historical expertise into actionable recommendations for government agencies and heritage bodies.Doctoral candidates and early-career historians — cultivate through sustained mentorship, structured training programs, and sponsorship of professional development at career-defining junctures.Interdisciplinary and cross-sector research consortia — establish and lead, integrating historians, social scientists, technologists, and policymakers to address complex questions of collective memory and historical identity.Funding strategies for large-scale archival, digital humanities, and preservation projects — design and execute by securing grants from federal agencies, foundations, and international bodies.Scholarly discourse on contested or politically sensitive historical narratives — arbitrate and guide with authoritative judgment, shaping how institutions and publics understand significant events.Organizational cultures of inquiry, integrity, and intellectual openness — model and sustain across history departments, museums, or research institutes through leadership by example.Emerging technologies for historical research — evaluate and champion adoption of, including AI-assisted document analysis and advanced digital archiving platforms, across the profession.
Also known as
30 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Architectural HistorianArt HistorianCollections SpecialistCounty HistorianDance HistorianDramatic Arts HistorianField Court ResearcherFilm HistorianGenealogistGenealogist ResearcherHealth HistorianHistorianHistorian DeveloperHistoric Architectural Resources CuratorHistoric InterpreterHistoric Preservation CoordinatorHistoric Preservation SpecialistHistoric PreservationistHistoric Sites RegistrarHistorical InterpreterHistoriographerMedical HistorianMedication HistorianMusic HistorianOral HistorianProcess Information Historian (PI Historian)ProtohistorianResearch AssociateResearch HistorianResearcher