Historians
Life, Physical, and Social Science
Most of the day is spent with archives and collections, pulling material from court records, diaries, newspapers, photographs, letters, and unpublished manuscripts. That material has to be organized, checked for authenticity, and weighed for what it actually shows about a person, group, place, or period. Findings go into articles, books, exhibits, and digital collections; some of the work also supports the identification and conservation of historic places and artifacts. Presenting those accounts, in writing or in person, is part of making the research usable. It suits people who like close, patient reading and careful judgment about what a source can and cannot prove.
Typical education: Master’s Degree
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$76'750
Median Wage Market Position
$76'750
What you might do
- Gather evidence from archives, diaries, and newspapers
- Weigh sources for authenticity and historical importance
- Research the history of a country or period
- Present the past through people or social groups
- Review books and exhibits for historical accuracy
- Preserve manuscripts, records, and other artifacts
Skills that matter
- Gathering evidence from archives and diaries
- Judging authenticity and historical significance
- Preparing accurate publications and exhibits
- Conserving manuscripts, records, and artifacts
- Presenting history by people, place, or period
- Researching historic places for conservation work
AI & the future of this role
Digitized archives make source search, summarization, and first-draft narratives easier for AI to accelerate. Careful source criticism, archival discovery, and interpretive argument still require human judgment, yet a large share of desk research looks exposed over the next decade.
Does Historians fit your values?
Take the free LostInCareer assessment to see personalized matches based on your core values—not just a personality label.
Related careers
Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details