What does a historian do?
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analyzing physical artifacts, written records and evidence during their investigations, and preserving significant historical documents.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.
Historian responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real historian resumes:
- 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
- Keep the page of the organization in the social network Instagram update.
- Work with teachers, principal, parents, and state PTA organization.
- Prepare and deliver PowerPoint presentations to inform clients of project progress and results.
- Create a twitter page for the organization to further update members on activities.
- Provide a forum for the exchange of information of all federal programs to federal employees.
- Attend all PTA functions, meetings and volunteer opportunities and helping out whenever and wherever need.
- Take pictures of dancers at various swing dance events, edit them and post them on their group Facebook page.
- Design flyers, brochures, programs and newsletters using photo editing software to promote events as well as fund raise.
- Organize and coordinate social, philanthropic, and community service events along with the establishing and enforcing a strict scholarship program.
Historian skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Historians are proficient in Cultural Resources, Historical Research, and Historic Resources. They’re also known for soft skills such as Foreign language skills, Research skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Historians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Cultural Resources, 16%
Conducted mitigation procedures between residents of proposed cultural resources and municipal, state, and federal agencies.
- Historical Research, 12%
Performed and managed historical research, writing, and collection and preservation of historical materials.
- Historic Resources, 12%
Supported Cincinnati waterfront development project by conducting research on historic resources and development of waterfront.
- Oral History Interviews, 9%
Contributed to the historical record by conducting and publishing oral history interviews with distinguished members and aerospace pioneers.
- Historic Properties, 7%
Identified and evaluated historic properties and made determinations of effect on historic properties.
- Archival Research, 6%
Conducted archival research and research interviews.
Most historians use their skills in "cultural resources," "historical research," and "historic resources" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential historian responsibilities here:
Foreign language skills. One of the key soft skills for a historian to have is foreign language skills. You can see how this relates to what historians do because "historians may need to review primary source materials that are not in english." Additionally, a historian resume shows how historians use foreign language skills: "initiated a student food discount card and promoted it among the student body other languages: native chinese speaker"
Research skills. Another essential skill to perform historian duties is research skills. Historians responsibilities require that "historians must be able to examine and process information from a large number of historical resources, including documents, images, and material artifacts." Historians also use research skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "performed research and field identification of cultural resources * assessed the potential effects of proposed transportation projects on eligible historic resources. "
Communication skills. This is an important skill for historians to perform their duties. For an example of how historian responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "historians must communicate effectively when collecting information, collaborating with colleagues, and presenting their research to the public through written documents and presentations." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a historian: "established communication between alumnae and chapter on upcoming events/chapter success; update website; photographed chapter events".
Analytical skills. For certain historian responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "analytical skills." The day-to-day duties of a historian rely on this skill, as "historians must be able to examine various types of historical resources and draw clear and logical conclusions based on their findings." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what historians do: "historian-managed the african student organization's records and historical data. "
Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for historian responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of historians all the time, as "historians try to answer questions about the past." An excerpt from a real historian resume shows how this skill is central to what a historian does: "coordinated all administrative functions and managed customer service complaint process to ensure smooth and efficient operations and problem resolution. "
The three companies that hire the most historians are:
- Stantec7 historians jobs
- HELIX Environmental Planning
6 historians jobs
- Parsons5 historians jobs
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Compare different historians
Historian vs. Genealogist
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between historians and genealogist. For instance, historian responsibilities require skills such as "cultural resources," "historical research," "historic resources," and "preservation act." Whereas a genealogist is skilled in "probate," "conduct research," "death certificates," and "research reports." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Genealogists tend to reach higher levels of education than historians. In fact, genealogists are 6.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Historian vs. Director of historical society
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, historian responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "cultural resources," "historic resources," "preservation act," and "oral history interviews." Meanwhile, a director of historical society has duties that require skills in areas such as "press releases," "historic preservation," "educational programs," and "blog posts." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Directors of historical society earn higher levels of education than historians in general. They're 12.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for historians in the next 3-5 years?
Gabrielle Patterson
History Instructor, University of Arkansas - Hope & Texarkana
Historian vs. Historic sites registrar
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, historians are more likely to have skills like "cultural resources," "historical research," "historic resources," and "preservation act." But a historic sites registrar is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "student data," "class schedules," and "instructional support."
Historic sites registrars typically earn similar educational levels compared to historians. Specifically, they're 2.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Historian vs. Dramatic arts historian
Updated January 8, 2025
