How much does a Historian make?
A Historian earns a median annual salary of $76,750 in the United States, which works out to roughly $36.90 per hour for full-time work. Most Historians earn between $42,730 at the entry level and $131,810 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $57,290 and $99,990 a year.
That is $15,360 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).
Historian salary range by percentile
Half of all Historians earn between $57,290 and $99,990 a year.
| Pay level | Annual salary | Hourly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $42,730 | $20.54 | |
| 25th percentile (early career) | $57,290 | $27.54 | |
| 50th percentile (median) | $76,750 | $36.90 | |
| 75th percentile (experienced) | $99,990 | $48.07 | |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $131,810 | $63.37 |
Highest-paying states for Historian
Where you work matters more than almost anything else. Massachusetts leads the country for Historian pay at $121,710 a year, followed by Maryland ($120,580) and District of Columbia ($118,290). At the other end, Utah posts the lowest median at $33,840 — a gap of $87,870 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $121,710 | $58.51 | +59% |
| 2 | Maryland | $120,580 | $57.97 | +57% |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $118,290 | $56.87 | +54% |
| 4 | Minnesota | $103,040 | $49.54 | +34% |
| 5 | Virginia | $101,920 | $49.00 | +33% |
Historian salary in every state
Official BLS state-level figures across 35 states and territories. Click a state for the full local breakdown.
Workforce and education
About 3,000 people work as Historians in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $81,240 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a master's degree (usually 5 to 6 years of college) is typically required, per O*NET occupation data.
Frequently asked questions
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