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The differences between historians and archaeologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a historian and an archaeologist. Additionally, a historian has an average salary of $57,376, which is higher than the $50,314 average annual salary of an archaeologist.
The top three skills for a historian include cultural resources, historical research and historic resources. The most important skills for an archaeologist are excavations, GPS, and GIS.
| Historian | Archaeologist | |
| Yearly salary | $57,376 | $50,314 |
| Hourly rate | $27.58 | $24.19 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 606 | 4,260 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Historians are professionals in social sciences with a specialization in history. They typically research, analyze, and interpret facts of human history. Other duties include collecting and evaluating data from various sources to answer questions on historical events, analyzing physical artifacts, written records and evidence during their investigations, and preserving significant historical documents. Additionally, you will liaise with historical sites such as museums to provide recommendations about historical conservation and the importance of historical sites, monuments, and artifacts.
An Archaeologist is focused on studying past human activity. They record, interpret, and preserve archaeological remains for future generations.
Historians and archaeologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Historian | Archaeologist | |
| Average salary | $57,376 | $50,314 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $125,000 | Between $33,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lowell, MA | Chelmsford, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Arcadis |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a historian and an archaeologist in terms of educational background:
| Historian | Archaeologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | History | Anthropology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between historians' and archaeologists' demographics:
| Historian | Archaeologist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3% | Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 7.8% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 6.7% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |