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The differences between historians and archivists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a historian, becoming an archivist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a historian has an average salary of $57,376, which is higher than the $47,145 average annual salary of an archivist.
The top three skills for a historian include cultural resources, historical research and historic resources. The most important skills for an archivist are archival collections, online database, and archival materials.
| Historian | Archivist | |
| Yearly salary | $57,376 | $47,145 |
| Hourly rate | $27.58 | $22.67 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 606 | 449 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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analyzing physical artifacts, written records and evidence during their investigations, and preserving significant historical documents.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 archivist is an information professional who assesses the value of information and then stores them in such a way that people can access the information and make sense of it. Archivists are required to have a great understanding of the historical context of the records, such as the relationship of a record to other records and why it was created in the first place. They must work closely with record managers and his/her torians to store and preserve perishable documents. Archivists must also organize public events such as talks and exhibitions.
Historians and archivists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Historian | Archivist | |
| Average salary | $57,376 | $47,145 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $125,000 | Between $23,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lowell, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a historian and an archivist in terms of educational background:
| Historian | Archivist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | History | History |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between historians' and archivists' demographics:
| Historian | Archivist | |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3% | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% |
| 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, 5.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 13% |