How hard is it to become a historian?

It is somewhat difficult to become a historian. In addition to the educational requirements, candidates must also contend with low demand and lack of job security. Aspiring historians must typically earn a master's or Ph.D. in history, museum studies, or historical preservation in order to work in the field. This requires an additional two to three years and the finances necessary to earn an appropriate graduate degree.

What companies hire history majors?

Companies in higher education, public relations, and journalism hire history majors. People who are interested in working in research and education can choose to pursue a doctorate in history and teach at universities. Similarly, many history majors go on to work for museums as museum curators.

What degree do you need to be a historian?

You need a master's degree or a Ph.D. in history to be a historian. Master's degrees in public history, museum studies, historic preservation, and archival management are also acceptable to gain work in the field.

What is the role of a historian?

The primary role of a historian is to inform others by telling a story. The historian must be the narrator of the story they want to tell. Whether relating information to a corporate executive, writing a book, or teaching, historians must present their information in an organized manner.

How To Become A Historian: What It Is and Career Path

What is a historian and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Gregory Downs Ph.D.

If you love spending the day with your nose in books or go into raptures when you visit historical sites, the career of a his/her torian might be for you. As a his/her torian, you would spend your days researching and interpreting the past. You could study many different fields, from military history to the history of cartoons.

You could also work in a variety of places. Most people know that his/her torians can go on to teach history, but did you know that you could also work as a his/her torian for the government or for a corporation? Some businesses hire his/her torians to research and record the history of the company or find a historical basis for legal matters. You could also do hands-on work at a museum or historical site.

Becoming a his/her torian is not as easy as checking out all the books on your favorite historical topic from the library. You would probably need to get a bachelor's degree, and if your goal is to become a university professor, you would need a master's or Ph.D. But the chances are that the idea of studying history for years sounds like a dream come true.

What general advice would you give to a Historian?

Gregory Downs Ph.D.

Professor, Department of History, University of California, Davis

The most-important thing a graduate should do, in any field, is devise a plan for their entry in a career. What do they want to do? What skills do they have that already prepare them? How can they emphasize those skills in a CV or letter? How can they begin to network with people in that field who might be able to direct them to entry-level opportunities. History majors have a great deal of ability to write clearly, think critically, and research complex problems, and these translate to many fields, but it is the applicant's job to explain why those skills matter. The hardest part of beginning a career is beginning, and graduates always need to think of themselves as active participants in that process.

ScoreHistorianUS Average

Salary

4.5

Avg. Salary $57,376

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

4.7

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.09%

Asian 7.81%

Black or African American 6.77%

Hispanic or Latino 13.90%

Unknown 6.44%

White 63.98%

Gender

female 59.29%

male 40.71%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress Level

4.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.2

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a historian

Explore historian education requirements

Most common historian degrees

Bachelor's

76.4 %

Master's

8.0 %

Associate

7.7 %

Start to develop specific historian skills

Skills	Percentages
Cultural Resources	15.92%
Historical Research	11.56%
Historic Resources	11.56%
Oral History Interviews	9.12%
Historic Properties	6.66%

Complete relevant historian training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New historians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a historian based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real historian resumes.

Research historian duties and responsibilities

Manage publicity and advertisement for club and alumni events through social media
Develop communication skills by conducting weekly meetings with the president of the fraternity and attending multiple leadership schools as an elect officer
Analyze giving in database and produce reports.
Collect detail information on individuals for use in biographies.

Get historian experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a historian. The most common roles before becoming a historian include volunteer, internship team lead and sales associate.

Prepare your historian resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your historian resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a historian resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Historian Resume templates

Build a professional Historian resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Historian resume.

Apply for historian jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a historian job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do historians rate their job?