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.
Analysing4
Research historical data and evidence
+Gather primary and secondary sources on the 18th-century urban poor, scan or transcript each document, record…
Research historical data and evidence
+Gather primary and secondary sources on the 18th-century urban poor, scan or transcript each document, record bibliographic details and provenance, and log confidence and contradictions in an evidence table for later analysis.
The tools that do the workAdobe AcrobatMicrosoft ExcelESCOjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Analyze and interpret historical data
+Run quantitative summaries and basic tests on the collected dataset of census and tax records, visualize…
Analyze and interpret historical data
+Run quantitative summaries and basic tests on the collected dataset of census and tax records, visualize trends by cohort, and produce annotated notes linking statistical patterns to specific documentary evidence.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Advise on historical authenticity and accuracy
+Review the film set props list and script excerpts, compare each item to period sources, note any…
Advise on historical authenticity and accuracy
+Review the film set props list and script excerpts, compare each item to period sources, note any anachronisms with specific references, and deliver a prioritized list of corrections and acceptable compromises for production.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Evaluate the reliability of historical sources
+Assess the reliability of the five cited memoirs and the wartime telegrams by checking authorship, dates,…
Evaluate the reliability of historical sources
+Assess the reliability of the five cited memoirs and the wartime telegrams by checking authorship, dates, provenance, internal consistency, and cited sources, then write a 700-word evaluation noting biases, gaps, and recommended corroborating archives by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Keeping the record2
Organize and maintain historical collections
+Catalog incoming accessioned items with title, creator, date, physical condition, provenance statement,…
Organize and maintain historical collections
+Catalog incoming accessioned items with title, creator, date, physical condition, provenance statement, subject headings, and recommended storage, then update the central collection register and create a conservation priority list.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Accessjob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Write research papers, articles, or books
+Draft a 5,000–8,000 word article arguing a clear thesis from my recent archival finds, integrate direct…
Write research papers, articles, or books
+Draft a 5,000–8,000 word article arguing a clear thesis from my recent archival finds, integrate direct citations from transcripts and images, produce footnotes and a bibliography, and prepare a submission-ready manuscript.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeAdobe Acrobatjob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
The daily work14
Do historical research
+Compile a literature and archive search on parish records, local newspapers, and probate inventories for East…
Do historical research
+Compile a literature and archive search on parish records, local newspapers, and probate inventories for East Kent 1780–1820, log each source with provenance and reliability notes, then draft a two‑page research summary with citations.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Research the past in recorded sources
+Trace references to the 1848 tradesmen strike across national newspapers, trade journals, and borough council…
Research the past in recorded sources
+Trace references to the 1848 tradesmen strike across national newspapers, trade journals, and borough council minutes, extract quotations and variants, assess each source's bias, and produce a chronological annotated bibliography.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Trace historical development in a particular field, such as social, cultural, political, or diplomatic history.
+Trace the development of urban public health policy in London from 1830 to 1914: assemble primary…
Trace historical development in a particular field, such as social, cultural, political, or diplomatic history.
+Trace the development of urban public health policy in London from 1830 to 1914: assemble primary legislation, municipal reports, newspapers, and public health board minutes, map key turning points, and produce a narrative showing causation and debate for a peer article.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Determine which topics to research, or pursue research topics specified by clients or employers.
+Decide whether to pursue a research project on women protest movements in 20th century Spain or on colonial…
Determine which topics to research, or pursue research topics specified by clients or employers.
+Decide whether to pursue a research project on women protest movements in 20th century Spain or on colonial land disputes in West Africa by listing available primary sources, likely archives, publication outlets, and estimated six-month research budgets to recommend one to my department head.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Edit historical society publications.
+Edit the autumn issue of the county historical society journal: check footnotes against the originals,…
Edit historical society publications.
+Edit the autumn issue of the county historical society journal: check footnotes against the originals, standardise citation style, tighten introductions and captions, and prepare a print-ready PDF proof with page folios for the press by next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workAdobe AcrobatO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Coordinate activities of workers engaged in cataloging and filing materials.
+Coordinate the cataloguing team for the estate papers: assign incoming boxes to Anne, Robert, and Maya;…
Coordinate activities of workers engaged in cataloging and filing materials.
+Coordinate the cataloguing team for the estate papers: assign incoming boxes to Anne, Robert, and Maya; ensure each file gets an accession number, summary entry, and preservation note; collect progress updates Friday morning and resolve any missing provenance before month end.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft SharePointO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Collect detailed information on individuals for use in biographies.
+Collect detailed biographical material on Sir Edward Palmer for a book chapter: locate birth, education,…
Collect detailed information on individuals for use in biographies.
+Collect detailed biographical material on Sir Edward Palmer for a book chapter: locate birth, education, military and correspondence records, interview his granddaughter, and compile a chronological dossier with sources and copies of three key letters by next month.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Translate or request translation of reference materials.
+Arrange translations of ten nineteenth-century Ottoman tax registers and a French consular report: identify…
Translate or request translation of reference materials.
+Arrange translations of ten nineteenth-century Ottoman tax registers and a French consular report: identify certified translators, send scans with translation instructions and glossary of period terms, request delivery within three weeks, and check translations against originals for fidelity.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Present findings at conferences or public events
+Present my conference paper on the contested 1919 land reforms to the local history society next Thursday,…
Present findings at conferences or public events
+Present my conference paper on the contested 1919 land reforms to the local history society next Thursday, using a slide deck that highlights sources, historiographical debate, three key maps, and a five-minute Q&A plan — check citations and timings first.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointjob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Develop educational and outreach programs
+Design a year-long outreach programme for school groups and community talks around the city archive…
Develop educational and outreach programs
+Design a year-long outreach programme for school groups and community talks around the city archive collection, with four themed workshops, teacher notes, assessment tasks, budget estimates, and a publicity one‑page — draft schedule for term start.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft PowerPointjob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Create and interpret timelines and chronological sequences
+Produce a clear chronological timeline of the industrial strike movement from 1880 to 1930 showing events,…
Create and interpret timelines and chronological sequences
+Produce a clear chronological timeline of the industrial strike movement from 1880 to 1930 showing events, primary-source citations, causal links and gaps in the record, export as a printable two‑page timeline for the seminar next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Construct narratives of past events
+Write a 2,500‑word narrative of the 1947 migration episode linking archival testimony, government reports and…
Construct narratives of past events
+Write a 2,500‑word narrative of the 1947 migration episode linking archival testimony, government reports and press coverage, arguing for one coherent causal interpretation and noting counter‑evidence in a concluding methodological appendix.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Present the past of human societies
+Prepare a public lecture that presents the social fabric of urban life in the 19th century, combining…
Present the past of human societies
+Prepare a public lecture that presents the social fabric of urban life in the 19th century, combining demographic data, household case studies and material culture photographs into a 30‑minute narrative with slide captions and a short bibliography.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointESCO
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Source criticism
+Carry out rigorous source criticism of the Smith family letter collection: authenticate provenance, date…
Source criticism
+Carry out rigorous source criticism of the Smith family letter collection: authenticate provenance, date inconsistencies, authorial voice, potential bias, and list sources that require archival re‑inspection in a short verification memo.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Says who?
These are the pages we read to build this. Open any of them and check us.
The logs, files & records this job keeps
Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
The rest of the map
Same library, five ways in.
Copyright © LLOS.ai · 2026 — original pedagogy, voice, and design — all rights reserved.
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses