How To Become a Historian

To become a historian, you usually need a bachelor's degree and 6-12 months of experience. The most common jobs before becoming a historian are volunteer, internship, and sales associate. Hiring managers expect a historian to have soft skills such as foreign language skills, research skills, and communication skills. Once you have all the required skills and experience, it doesn't take any job training to become a historian.

Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 200 job opportunities across the U.S.

How to become a Historian in 5 steps:

  • Step 1: Explore historian education
  • Step 2: Develop historian skills
  • Step 3: Research historian duties
  • Step 4: Prepare your resume
  • Step 5: Get historian experience

Key Steps To Become a Historian

  1. Explore Historian Education

    If you're interested in becoming a historian, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 76.4% of historians have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 8.0% of historians have master's degrees. Even though most historians have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

    Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a historian. When we researched the most common majors for a historian, we found that they most commonly have history, business and psychology.

    Historian Degrees

    Bachelors

    76.4 %

    Masters

    8.0 %

    Associate

    7.7 %

    Historian MajorPercentages
    History16.40%
    Business10.90%
    Psychology9.80%
    Biology8.80%
    Other Degrees54.10%

  2. Develop Historian Skills

    It'll be a good idea to develop historian skills before applying for a job. Here are some skills commonly requested in historian job descriptions:

  3. Research Historian Duties

    When you decide to become a historian, It's important to know what duties and responsibilities are required for this position. Some common responsibilities are a part of most historian jobs. Here is a list of the main duties that define the role:

    • Manage publicity and advertisement for club and alumni events through social media
    • Develop communication skills by conducting weekly meetings with the president of the fraternity and attending multiple leadership schools as an elect officer
    • Analyze giving in database and produce reports.
    • Collect detail information on individuals for use in biographies.
    • Create profiles and biographies of the life and locations of soldiers.
    • Represent and vote for the recruitment committee in an executive member forum

  4. Get Historian Experience

    Generally, it takes 6-12 months to become a historian. The most common roles before becoming a historian include volunteer, internship team lead and sales associate.

    Historian
    Class Representative
    Student Ambassador
    Public Relations Chairperson
    Eagle Scout
    Philanthropy Chairperson
    New Member Educator
    Eagle Scout
    Student Ambassador
    New Member Educator
    Community Service Chairperson
    Fundraising Chairperson
    Public Relations Chairperson
    Community Service Chairperson
    Philanthropy Chairperson
    Public Relations Chairperson
    Public Relations Chairperson

  5. Prepare Your Resume

    Finally, when you already have checked the skills and responsibilities for this role, you can start creating your resume. Everything that goes into creating a perfect resume can take hours, days, or even weeks. No worries, we created a resume builder to make this process as easy as possible with tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and a summary.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Historian Resume templates

    Build a professional Historian resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Historian resume.

    Historian Resume
    Historian Resume
    Historian Resume
    Historian Resume
    Historian Resume
    Historian Resume
    Historian Resume
    Historian Resume
    Historian Resume

  6. Apply For a Historian Job

    With your ready resume, it's time to start searching for a new job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

    Historian Jobs

    7. How To Become a Historian
    How To Become a Historian Career Overview
Top Historian Jobs Near You

Average Salary for a Historian

Historians in America make an average salary of $57,376 per year or $28 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $125,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $26,000 per year.
Average Historian Salary
$57,376 Yearly
$27.58 hourly
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Becoming a Historian FAQs

What Degree Do You Need To Be A Historian?

You need a master's degree or a Ph.D. in history to be a historian. Master's degrees in public history, museum studies, historic preservation, and archival management are also acceptable to gain work in the field.

Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.

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Updated November 18, 2022