Career Opportunities
What can I do with a major in History?
- Writer/Author
- Editor
- Foreign News Correspondent
- Historic Preservation Specialist
- Archivist
- Public Administrator/Manager
- Congressional Aide
- FBI/CIA Agent
- Historic Site Tour Guide
- Historical Society staff
- Lobbyist
- Public Relations Specialist
- Consultant
- Historian
- Indexer
- Journalist
- Peace Corps
- Research Assistant
- Consumer Advocate
- Foreign Service Officer
- Historic Site Officer
- Historic Site Administrator
- International Relations Specialist
- Movie/TV Historical Museum Curator
- Teacher
Education pays in higher earnings and lower unemployment rates:
*Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual earnings for a Masters in History was $48,520 in 2006, the most recent year for which data is available.
Earnings and Unemployment
Unemployment Rate in 2006
(Percent)
|
Education Attained
|
Median Weekly Earnings in 2006
(Dollars)
|
1.4
|
Doctoral degree
|
$1,441
|
1.1
|
Professional degree
|
$1,474
|
1.7
|
Master's degree
|
$1,140
|
2.3
|
Bachelor's degree
|
$962
|
3.0
|
Associate degree
|
$721
|
3.9
|
Some college, no degree
|
$674
|
4.3
|
High-school graduate
|
$595
|
6.8
|
Less than a high school diploma
|
$419
|
Note: Data are 2006 annual averages for persons age 25 and over. Earnings are for full-time wage and salary workers. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey
Additional Resources:
Camenson, Blythe, (2002), Careers for History Buffs and Others Who Learn From the Past, The McGraw-Hill Company: New York, NY.
DeGalan, Julie, & Lambert, Stephen (2001), Great Jobs for History Majors, The McGraw-Hill Company: New York, NY.
U. S. Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics