What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Historians in the U.S. earn more than $76,750 a year — the middle 80% land between $42,730 and $131,810. About 3,450 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Historians”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$76,750typical pay / year
3,450people in this work
$131,810+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Analysing2
Research historical data and evidence
+Locate and compile quantitative price, wage and tariff series for British textile exports 1800–1850 from…
Research historical data and evidence
+Locate and compile quantitative price, wage and tariff series for British textile exports 1800–1850 from parliamentary returns and merchant ledgers, clean irregular entries, and prepare a dataset with source notes by next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelESCOjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Evaluate the reliability of historical sources
+Assess the reliability of the 1845 factory inspection reports and the 1850 census table for use in my…
Evaluate the reliability of historical sources
+Assess the reliability of the 1845 factory inspection reports and the 1850 census table for use in my article, rate each source on provenance, purpose, and internal consistency, and recommend which to trust for quantitative claims by Wednesday.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS Statisticsjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Keeping the record2
Analyze and interpret historical data
+Run descriptive stats and a short regression testing tariff changes on cotton import volumes using the…
Analyze and interpret historical data
+Run descriptive stats and a short regression testing tariff changes on cotton import volumes using the assembled 1820–1860 dataset, produce tables of coefficients and a one-page nontechnical interpretation for the editor by Tuesday.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Organize and maintain historical collections
+Inventory the private papers collection acquired from the Mason family, create a catalog with provenance…
Organize and maintain historical collections
+Inventory the private papers collection acquired from the Mason family, create a catalog with provenance notes, physical condition, and recommended preservation actions for 1,200 items, and upload the catalog to the project repository by end of month.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work13
Do historical research
+Map the price series and wage records from the 1870–1914 merchant ledgers, transcribe uncertain readings,…
Do historical research
+Map the price series and wage records from the 1870–1914 merchant ledgers, transcribe uncertain readings, note provenances and gaps, and produce a research brief with citations and source-criticism comments by next Tuesday.
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Research the past in recorded sources
+Trace the county tax rolls and probate inventories for 1840–1860, extract names, occupations and valuations…
Research the past in recorded sources
+Trace the county tax rolls and probate inventories for 1840–1860, extract names, occupations and valuations into a sortable dataset, verify entries against parish registers, and return a checked dataset and short methodology note by Friday.
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Present findings at conferences or public events
+Prepare a 20-minute conference talk for the Economic History Association, with slides that tell the argument,…
Present findings at conferences or public events
+Prepare a 20-minute conference talk for the Economic History Association, with slides that tell the argument, three empirical charts, and a one-page handout summarising sources and methods; finish slides and handout by next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointjob descriptions
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Develop educational and outreach programs
+Design a one-hour public lecture and an associated school workshop on urban food markets, listing learning…
Develop educational and outreach programs
+Design a one-hour public lecture and an associated school workshop on urban food markets, listing learning objectives, three classroom activities, a teacher bibliography, and printable student worksheets ready two weeks before the museum outreach day.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointjob descriptions
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Create and interpret timelines and chronological sequences
+Build a chronological timeline of grain price shocks from 1780–1850 with event dates, short descriptions, and…
Create and interpret timelines and chronological sequences
+Build a chronological timeline of grain price shocks from 1780–1850 with event dates, short descriptions, and source citations, and produce an interactive version plus a printable two‑page chronology to hand out at the seminar next Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Present the past of human societies
+Prepare a public lecture that tells the economic history of nineteenth‑century port cities for a lay…
Present the past of human societies
+Prepare a public lecture that tells the economic history of nineteenth‑century port cities for a lay audience, with three clear thematic sections, two illustrative maps, and a short reading list, ready for the civic talk on Saturday evening.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointESCO
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Source criticism
+Carry out source criticism on the merchant ledger dataset: list provenance, assess reliability of entries,…
Source criticism
+Carry out source criticism on the merchant ledger dataset: list provenance, assess reliability of entries, note gaps and likely copying errors, and produce a one‑page methodological memo with recommended cautious uses before Wednesday.
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Trace historical development in a particular field, such as social, cultural, political, or diplomatic history.
+Trace the development of nineteenth-century British land tax policy from 1780 to 1914, map key legislative…
Trace historical development in a particular field, such as social, cultural, political, or diplomatic history.
+Trace the development of nineteenth-century British land tax policy from 1780 to 1914, map key legislative changes, major actors, and economic effects using primary sources and parliamentary debates, and produce a narrative that links causes to outcomes with citations.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
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Determine which topics to research, or pursue research topics specified by clients or employers.
+Decide which research topics to pursue this term: compare industrial wage trends in Lancashire and Yorkshire…
Determine which topics to research, or pursue research topics specified by clients or employers.
+Decide which research topics to pursue this term: compare industrial wage trends in Lancashire and Yorkshire 1820–1880, study coal market integration 1850–1900, or analyse tariff debates 1860–1890; assess source availability, originality, and fundability, then recommend top two with reasons.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
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Edit historical society publications.
+Edit the quarterly bulletin for the Economic History Society: copyedit articles for clarity and citation…
Edit historical society publications.
+Edit the quarterly bulletin for the Economic History Society: copyedit articles for clarity and citation style, verify footnotes against original sources, tighten introductions, and prepare a ready-for-print manuscript with tracked changes for the board by next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workAdobe InDesignMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
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Coordinate activities of workers engaged in cataloging and filing materials.
+Coordinate the cataloguing team to complete accessioning of the newly donated estate papers: assign…
Coordinate activities of workers engaged in cataloging and filing materials.
+Coordinate the cataloguing team to complete accessioning of the newly donated estate papers: assign item-level descriptions, set deadlines for 500 files over four weeks, ensure consistent metadata and provenance notes, and report progress at the Wednesday staff meeting.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft SharePointO*NET
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Collect detailed information on individuals for use in biographies.
+Collect comprehensive biographical material on Elizabeth Cartwright (1842–1901): locate birth, marriage, and…
Collect detailed information on individuals for use in biographies.
+Collect comprehensive biographical material on Elizabeth Cartwright (1842–1901): locate birth, marriage, and probate records, trace employment and household accounts, interview family heirs if reachable, and assemble a sourced dossier ready for a chapter draft.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
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Translate or request translation of reference materials.
+Obtain translations of a set of German factory inspection reports from 1873–1885: identify which reports lack…
Translate or request translation of reference materials.
+Obtain translations of a set of German factory inspection reports from 1873–1885: identify which reports lack reliable English versions, request certified translations where content affects quantitative tables, and annotate translated passages with source references for publication.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses