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The differences between historians and postdoctoral scholars 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 a postdoctoral scholar takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a postdoctoral scholar has an average salary of $57,587, which is higher than the $57,376 average annual salary of a historian.
The top three skills for a historian include cultural resources, historical research and historic resources. The most important skills for a postdoctoral scholar are chemistry, python, and patients.
| Historian | Postdoctoral Scholar | |
| Yearly salary | $57,376 | $57,587 |
| Hourly rate | $27.58 | $27.69 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 606 | 18,983 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| 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analyzing physical artifacts, written records and evidence during their investigations, and preserving significant historical documents.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.
A Postdoctoral Scholar is responsible for supporting an educational research group to conduct studies and gather relevant data to support study claims and scientific evidence. They review initial findings, perform field investigations, and interview the target respondents for data and statistical analysis. They also coordinate with the whole team for efficient research methods, ensuring adherence to budget limitations and required timetables. A Postdoctoral Scholar must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, to document reports and discuss results with the research team.
Historians and postdoctoral scholars have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Historian | Postdoctoral Scholar | |
| Average salary | $57,376 | $57,587 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $125,000 | Between $41,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lowell, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a historian and a postdoctoral scholar in terms of educational background:
| Historian | Postdoctoral Scholar | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | History | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between historians' and postdoctoral scholars' demographics:
| Historian | Postdoctoral Scholar | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3% | Male, 53.0% Female, 47.0% |
| 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, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |