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.
Analysing3
Research historical data and evidence
+Compile the municipality's census records, oral interview summaries, and land transactions for the waterfront…
Research historical data and evidence
+Compile the municipality's census records, oral interview summaries, and land transactions for the waterfront district from 1880–1940, map key demographic shifts in a one-page evidence memo, and deliver it to the community advisory board by Wednesday evening.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISESCOjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Analyze and interpret historical data
+Analyze the compiled visitor logs, voting registers, and trade invoices to interpret patterns of migration…
Analyze and interpret historical data
+Analyze the compiled visitor logs, voting registers, and trade invoices to interpret patterns of migration and occupational change in the coastal town, produce a 1,200-word interpretive brief with three supporting charts, and circulate to the interpretive team Monday morning.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS Statisticsjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Evaluate the reliability of historical sources
+Assess the reliability of the three soldier diaries and the published regimental history: rate provenance,…
Evaluate the reliability of historical sources
+Assess the reliability of the three soldier diaries and the published regimental history: rate provenance, contemporaneity, and bias; produce a two-page table summarising strengths and weaknesses and recommend which passages are safe to quote in the upcoming catalogue.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Keeping the record1
Organize and maintain historical collections
+Inventory the donated photograph boxes and oral cassette tapes, create a folder-level catalogue with…
Organize and maintain historical collections
+Inventory the donated photograph boxes and oral cassette tapes, create a folder-level catalogue with accession numbers, preservation needs, and suggested storage actions, then hand the catalogue to collections manager Rosa Nguyen and schedule conservation work next quarter.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Accessjob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work14
Do historical research
+Gather and read the surviving council minutes, property deeds, and census returns for Old Harbour between…
Do historical research
+Gather and read the surviving council minutes, property deeds, and census returns for Old Harbour between 1870 and 1900, note contradictions about who owned Dock Street Store in 1884, and file a one-page annotated source list by Friday.
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Research the past in recorded sources
+Trace references to the 1799 quarantine law across newspapers, parish registers, and ship logs held in the…
Research the past in recorded sources
+Trace references to the 1799 quarantine law across newspapers, parish registers, and ship logs held in the county archive, evaluate each source for authorship and bias, and produce a two-page evidence memo with citations for the exhibit team by Wednesday.
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Present findings at conferences or public events
+Present my conference talk on the 1918 influenza response in Springfield, using the 12-slide deck, the…
Present findings at conferences or public events
+Present my conference talk on the 1918 influenza response in Springfield, using the 12-slide deck, the verbatim transcript, and the four archival images; rehearse timing to 18 minutes, highlight three discussion questions for the Q&A, and export the final speaker PDF by Thursday noon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointjob descriptions
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Develop educational and outreach programs
+Design a one-hour school outreach program about local migration for next month: draft learning objectives, a…
Develop educational and outreach programs
+Design a one-hour school outreach program about local migration for next month: draft learning objectives, a 40-minute activity with worksheets, a 15-minute slideshow, and an optional 5-minute primary-source handling session; compile participant handouts into a print-ready packet.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions
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Create and interpret timelines and chronological sequences
+Build a chronological timeline of Springfield industry from 1850 to 1950 with dates, source citations, and…
Create and interpret timelines and chronological sequences
+Build a chronological timeline of Springfield industry from 1850 to 1950 with dates, source citations, and three annotated turning points; arrange entries so they print on a single wide poster and export a high-resolution file for the printer.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Construct narratives of past events
+Draft a 1,200-word public-facing narrative of the 1932 strike that we can use on the museum label and…
Construct narratives of past events
+Draft a 1,200-word public-facing narrative of the 1932 strike that we can use on the museum label and website, integrate two eyewitness quotes with citations, note conflicting sources and our interpretation, and deliver copy ready for editing by Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeWikipedia
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Present the past of human societies
+Prepare an illustrated 10-minute gallery talk that explains the social life of the textile mill community,…
Present the past of human societies
+Prepare an illustrated 10-minute gallery talk that explains the social life of the textile mill community, pick three objects, write a 500-word script with accessible language, and include three provocative questions to engage visitors during the tour.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointESCO
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Source criticism
+Evaluate the authorship and reliability of the 1890 factory ledger: note provenance, transcription…
Source criticism
+Evaluate the authorship and reliability of the 1890 factory ledger: note provenance, transcription discrepancies, material condition, cross-check three entries against census data, and write a short assessment of whether it can be used as quantitative evidence.
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Trace historical development in a particular field, such as social, cultural, political, or diplomatic history.
+Trace the development of urban public health policy from 1870 to 1930 in Boston: compile a chronological…
Trace historical development in a particular field, such as social, cultural, political, or diplomatic history.
+Trace the development of urban public health policy from 1870 to 1930 in Boston: compile a chronological narrative of key laws, outbreaks, sanitation projects, and civic debates, cite primary sources and three secondary interpretations, and flag contested claims for review.
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 whether to pursue a client brief on the town mill strike of 1912 or a commissioned exhibit on…
Determine which topics to research, or pursue research topics specified by clients or employers.
+Decide whether to pursue a client brief on the town mill strike of 1912 or a commissioned exhibit on immigrant neighborhoods: list research questions, likely primary sources, estimated time and costs, and recommend which yields stronger public programs and funding potential.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Edit historical society publications.
+Edit the spring issue of the historical society journal: fact-check three submitted articles, standardize…
Edit historical society publications.
+Edit the spring issue of the historical society journal: fact-check three submitted articles, standardize footnotes to the society style, tighten introductions to 150 words, and prepare a print-ready PDF proof for the board by next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workAdobe InDesignAdobe AcrobatO*NET
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Coordinate activities of workers engaged in cataloging and filing materials.
+Coordinate the cataloguing team to rehousel the local manuscript collection: assign batches by accession…
Coordinate activities of workers engaged in cataloging and filing materials.
+Coordinate the cataloguing team to rehousel the local manuscript collection: assign batches by accession number, set metadata fields to include creator, date, and custody history, schedule spot-checks, and confirm storage location updates in the archive index by month end.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft AccessO*NET
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Collect detailed information on individuals for use in biographies.
+Collect biographical dossiers for three nominated board candidates: gather birth, education, career…
Collect detailed information on individuals for use in biographies.
+Collect biographical dossiers for three nominated board candidates: gather birth, education, career milestones, published writings, correspondence holdings, and two corroborating primary sources per claim, then produce a one-page summary and a vetted sources list for trustees.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
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Translate or request translation of reference materials.
+Arrange translation of a set of 19th-century estate inventories in French: identify which items need…
Translate or request translation of reference materials.
+Arrange translation of a set of 19th-century estate inventories in French: identify which items need certified translation, request quotes for the full batch and for urgent pieces, and deliver the originals plus translator notes to the client with an estimated two-week turnaround.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
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Says who?
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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