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Historian demographics and statistics in the US

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Historian demographics by:

Historian gender statistics

59.3% of historians are women and 40.7% of historians are men.
  • Female, 59.3%
  • Male, 40.7%

Historian gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Female59.3%
Male40.7%

Historian gender pay gap

Women earn 99¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$55,325
female-income
Female income
$54,633

Historian gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in historian positions over time. Currently, 59.3% of historians are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Historian gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201031.86%68.14%
201133.95%66.05%
201230.64%69.36%
201330.08%69.92%
201432.26%67.74%
201540.19%59.81%
201636.43%63.57%
201733.06%66.94%
201834.19%65.81%
201936.10%63.90%
202041.25%58.75%
202140.71%59.29%

Historian related jobs gender ratio

We compared historians with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, econometrician and political advisor have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Home Economist4%96%
Educational Diagnostician11%89%
Senior Behavioral Scientist15%85%
Historian41%59%
Agricultural Economist75%25%
Political Advisor76%24%
Econometrician77%23%

Historian demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among historians is White, which makes up 64.0% of all historians. Comparatively, 13.9% of historians are Hispanic or Latino and 7.8% of historians are Asian.
  • White, 64.0%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 13.9%
  • Asian, 7.8%
  • Black or African American, 6.8%
  • Unknown, 6.4%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%

Historian race

Historian racePercentages
White64.0%
Hispanic or Latino13.9%
Asian7.8%
Black or African American6.8%
Unknown6.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native1.1%

Historian race and ethnicity over time

See how historian racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Historian race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201069.46%11.24%6.46%9.55%
201171.35%8.37%6.48%9.01%
201269.11%7.54%6.89%11.23%
201367.73%9.09%6.65%12.01%
201463.20%10.41%8.04%12.18%
201571.15%8.54%8.17%9.14%
201669.13%8.54%7.37%10.75%
201764.81%7.00%7.26%15.40%
201871.32%7.73%7.11%10.67%
201968.79%7.06%8.30%11.64%
202062.99%7.86%9.14%11.97%
202163.98%6.77%7.81%13.90%

Historian wage gap by race

According to our data, black or african american historians have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino historians have the lowest average salary at $50,664.
$59,000
$57,000
$55,000
$53,000
$51,000
$49,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$57,415
White$55,412
Black or African American$57,596
Asian$55,831
Hispanic or Latino$50,664

Average historian age

See how the average age of historians varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Historian age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Unknown4637.5
White40.539
Asian4041
Hispanic or Latino3936

Historian age breakdown

The average age of historians is 40+ years years old, representing 53% of the historian population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Historian age breakdown

Historian YearsPercentages
40+ years53%
30-40 years31%
20-30 years16%

Historian educational attainment

The most common degree for historians is bachelor's degree, with 76% of historians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 8% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 76%
  • Master's, 8%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

Historians by degree level

Historian degreePercentages
Bachelor's76%
Master's8%
Associate8%
High School Diploma5%
Other Degrees3%

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Historian wage gap by degree level

According to the data, historians with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $65,473 annually. With a Master's degree, historians earn a median annual income of $62,267 compared to $52,200 for historians with an Bachelor's degree.
$68,000
$65,000
$62,000
$59,000
$56,000
$53,000
$50,000
Master's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Doctorate Degree
EducationSalary
Master's Degree$62,267
Bachelor's Degree$52,200
Doctorate Degree$65,473

Historian employment statistics

Most historians work for a education in the education industry.

Company size where historians work

Below, you can see the size of companies where historians work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Historian jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees11%
50 - 100 employees28%
100 - 500 employees25%
500 - 1,000 employees7%
1,000 - 10,000 employees21%
> 10,000 employees7%

Historian jobs by company type

Employees with the historian job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most historians prefer to work at education companies over private companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Historian jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education54%
Public8%
Private30%
Government8%

Historian jobs by industry

The most common industries for historians are education, non profits and professional.

Education

Non Profits

Professional

Health Care

Government

Historian turnover and employment statistics

Historian unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for historians between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Historian unemployment rate by year

YearHistorian unemployment rate
20106.58%
20117.95%
20125.58%
20135.71%
20146.50%
20156.49%
20163.93%
20172.24%
20183.43%
20192.72%
20204.85%
20215.34%

Average historian tenure

The average historian stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,822 historians resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Historian tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year27%
1-2 years43%
3-4 years10%
5-7 years11%
8-10 years5%
11+ years5%

Historian LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of historians that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Forest Economist7.51%1,039
Historian10.82%-
Child Study Team Director11.87%43,078
Program Services Planner13.00%123,948
Industrial Psychologist19.82%19,805

Similar historian jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Forest Economist7.51%1,039
Child Study Team Director11.87%43,078
Program Services Planner13.00%123,948
Industrial Psychologist19.82%19,805

Foreign languages spoken by historians

The most common foreign language among historians is Spanish at 43.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.5% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 7.0%.
  • Spanish, 43.1%
  • French, 12.5%
  • Chinese, 7.0%
  • Mandarin, 5.4%
  • German, 4.6%
  • Other, 27.4%

Historian languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish43.1%
French12.5%
Chinese7.0%
Mandarin5.4%
German4.6%
Other27.4%

Historian jobs

Historian location demographics

Where do historians earn the most?

Historians earn the most in Alaska, where the average historian salary is $82,429. The map here shows where historians earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average salary

Which city has the most Historians?

By looking through more than 3,822 resumes, we found that the most popular places for historians are Los Angeles, CA and Washington, DC.
Number of Historians

Historian jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1California21$67,411
2New York6$73,474
3Washington3$68,137
4Maryland3$64,632
5Alaska2$82,429
6Massachusetts2$78,307
7Connecticut2$75,620
8Oregon2$71,934
9Arizona2$61,435
10Virginia2$58,497
11Louisiana2$51,452
12Texas2$53,084
13Florida2$48,104
14Georgia2$48,193
15Idaho1$61,676
16Hawaii1$57,691
17Kentucky1$51,191
18Colorado1$52,930
19North Carolina1$51,135
20New Hampshire0$78,231
21Rhode Island0$77,607
22Vermont0$75,606
23Maine0$75,128
24Pennsylvania0$69,461
25New Jersey0$72,444
26Nevada0$67,187
27Michigan0$65,353
28Delaware0$67,930
29Wisconsin0$62,248
30North Dakota0$61,764
31Ohio0$59,805
32Minnesota0$61,742
33Utah0$59,133
34West Virginia0$57,561
35New Mexico0$58,042
36District of Columbia0$63,151
37Indiana0$54,923
38Illinois0$57,189
39Montana0$55,149
40Wyoming0$52,985
41Iowa0$52,057
42South Dakota0$51,669
43Mississippi0$49,992
44Oklahoma0$50,009
45Tennessee0$48,927
46Arkansas0$48,996
47Kansas0$48,832
48Nebraska0$48,869
49Missouri0$48,656
50Alabama0$48,802
51South Carolina0$48,526

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