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and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.
From people doing the work
Being a historian means constantly digging through old documents, piecing together narratives from fragments, and trying to understand the past on its own terms. It's a lot of solitary research, punctuated by moments of discovery and the challenge of communicating complex ideas clearly. You spend a lot of time reading, analyzing, and writing, often feeling like a detective of bygone eras. It's to uncover new insights, but it requires patience and attention to detail.
Drawn from r/AskHistorians, Indeed.com career advice, OAH publications
Attribution: Composite
Composite · Synthesised from r/AskHistorians, Indeed.com career advice, OAH publications
A day in the life of a Historian
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- 90% Team / 10% Solo
- Client facing
- Frequent
- Impact visibility
- Low
- Travel
- Occasional
- Schedule flexibility
- Flexible
- Remote work
- Hybrid
- Typical work hours
- 40-50
- Stress level
- Moderate
Historians salary, education and outlook at a glance
- Median salary
- $74,050
- Entry-level
- $44,000
- Senior
- $133,000
- Growth by 2033
- +2.2%
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- 202%
- Typical student debt
- Very High
Skills you need as a Historian
Hard skills
- History and Archeology
- Complex Problem Solving
- Data base user interface and query software
Soft skills
- Learning Strategies
- Social Perceptiveness
- Critical Thinking
Technical complexity: Low
Tools of the trade
Core tools
- Zotero (Software): Reference management and research organization for academic work.
- Transkribus (Software): AI-powered platform for transcribing historical documents, especially handwritten ones.
- NVivo (Software): Qualitative data analysis software for analyzing primary sources like documents and images.
- JSTOR (Platform): Accessing academic journals, books, and primary sources for historical research.
- Primary Source Documents (Standard): Fundamental historical evidence such as letters, diaries, and government records.
Commonly used
- Tropy (Software): Organize and describe research photos and digitized archival materials.
Specialist tools
- Voyant Tools (Software): Web-based text analysis and visualization tools for digital humanities projects.
How to become a Historian
- Minimum education
- Master's Degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 6-10
- Years to senior
- 15-20
- Career switching
- Hard
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
- Archivist: Archivists manage and preserve historical records, a foundational skill for historians.
- Librarian: Librarians organize information and resources, often specializing in historical collections.
- Journalist: Journalists research and report on current events, a skill transferable to historical narrative.
- Curator: Curators manage museum collections, often with a strong historical focus.
Where you can go from here
- Museum Technician: Historians can transition to roles involving the preservation and display of historical artifacts.
- Genealogist: Historians' research skills are highly applicable to tracing family histories and lineages.
- Academic Researcher: Historians often pursue advanced research roles within universities or dedicated institutions.
- Policy Analyst: Understanding historical contexts is crucial for analyzing and shaping public policy.
- Writer/Editor: Historians' strong writing and analytical skills are valuable in publishing and content creation.
Typical progression
- Geographers
- Historians
- or Anthropologists and Archeologists
Historians job outlook and future demand
- Automation probability
- Moderate
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
Job satisfaction as a Historian
- Overall satisfaction
- 7.8/10
- Meaning
- 8.5/10
- Work-life balance
- 7/10
- Prestige
- 8.5/10
- Social perception
- Very High
Where practitioners gather
Professional organisations
- American Historical Association: The largest professional organization in the United States devoted to the study and promotion of history.
- Organization of American Historians: The largest professional society dedicated to United States history, advocating for its study and teaching.
- Southern Historical Association: A rigorous and convivial professional association focused on the history of the American South.
Podcasts and media
- The Historical Journal: Publishes papers on all aspects of British, European, and world history since the fifteenth century.
Reddit communities
- r/AskHistorians: A subreddit where historians answer questions about history, offering detailed and sourced responses.