History Teachers, Postsecondary
Educational Instruction and Library
Undergraduate and graduate lectures range across subjects such as ancient history, postwar civilizations, and regional world history, then move into moderated discussion. Syllabi, homework, and handouts are prepared in advance; exams are written and graded, along with papers and other assignments; attendance and grades are recorded. Many also research a historical field, publish in journals or books, and stay current through reading, colleagues, and conferences. Time is spent on campus, between the classroom and scholarly work. It suits people who like explaining evidence from the past, reading widely, and mixing teaching with research and writing.
Typical education: Doctoral Degree (Ph.D., Ed.D.)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$83'820
Median Wage Market Position
$83'820
What you might do
- Deliver lectures on ancient, postwar, and world history
- Guide classroom discussions of historical topics
- Assess papers, exams, and other student work
- Build reading lists, syllabi, and history assignments
- Research historical questions and publish the findings
- Keep up by reading and attending conferences
Skills that matter
- Lecturing on ancient and postwar history
- Opening discussions on historical topics
- Compiling and grading history exams
- Publishing research in history journals
- Reading current work in historiography
- Evaluating history papers and assignments
AI & the future of this role
Synthesizing sources, drafting lecture outlines, and assessing essays are activities AI might handle with growing fluency. Seminar debate, archival judgment, and mentoring research students may still hold value, but much of the core load is text-heavy and automatable.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details