History majors earn salaries that depend almost entirely on which career they enter. Historians earn a median of $65,350. Archivists, curators, and museum workers earn $60,420. But most history graduates do not work as historians. Those who go into law, business, government, or policy analysis earn according to those professions' pay scales, which are often higher. The degree is more versatile than its reputation suggests.
The salary question for history majors always comes loaded with subtext: "my parents think I am wasting their money" or "everyone says I should have picked something practical." The stereotype of the unemployable history major is so persistent that even history professors joke about it, which does not exactly build confidence when you are trying to decide if this degree will support a real adult life.
Here is what the data actually shows: history majors do not have a single salary trajectory. They have dozens, because the degree feeds into more career paths than almost any other major. The history graduates earning the least are the ones who either stayed in academia without tenure or took the first available job without considering how their skills translate. The ones earning the most applied their research, writing, and analytical skills in fields that value those abilities and pay accordingly.
For the broader ROI question, read our analysis on whether a history degree is worth it.
Entry-Level Salary: What to Expect Year One
The entry-level picture for history majors is not glamorous, but it is not as bleak as the stereotypes suggest.
Museum and archival positions pay the least at entry level: curatorial assistants, archive assistants, and museum education roles start between $30,000 and $40,000 in most markets. These positions are competitive relative to their pay because many history graduates target them.
Research assistant positions at think tanks, policy organizations, and government agencies start between $38,000 and $50,000. Washington, DC offers the densest concentration of these roles.
Federal government positions for history graduates typically start at GS-5 to GS-7 ($35,000 to $47,000 before locality adjustments). The National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, National Archives, and various federal agencies hire history graduates into entry-level positions with clear advancement tracks.
The strongest first-year salaries for history majors go to those who enter paralegal, corporate, or consulting roles rather than traditional history positions. Entry-level paralegal work pays $42,000 to $55,000, and consulting or business analyst entry-level roles pay $50,000 to $65,000. These employers value the research and analytical skills history programs develop.
Adjunct teaching positions are the worst financial path for history graduates. Adjuncts earn $3,000 to $5,000 per course with no benefits and no job security. Unless you have a clear path to a tenure-track position, treat adjunct teaching as a supplement, not a career plan.
Mid-Career Salary: Where the Money Actually Goes
Mid-career is where history degree salaries diverge most dramatically based on career path.
Historians earn a median of $65,3501. Archivists, curators, and museum workers earn a median of $60,4202. These are respectable middle-class salaries, but they represent the people who stayed in explicitly history-related work.
History majors in law earn according to the legal pay scale (median $145,760 for lawyers)3. History is consistently one of the top undergraduate majors for law school admission and LSAT performance. A history degree plus a law degree is a well-established path to high earnings.
History graduates in government, policy analysis, intelligence, and nonprofit management earn $60,000 to $120,000+ depending on level and agency. The federal government alone employs thousands of people with history backgrounds in roles ranging from policy analysis to intelligence assessment.
The highest-earning history majors at mid-career share a pattern: they describe their skills in terms of what they can do for an employer rather than what they studied. "I can analyze complex situations, synthesize large volumes of information, and write clear recommendations" lands jobs and salary negotiations. "I studied the Civil War" does not, even if the skills are identical.
Salary by Industry
The industry where you apply your history degree creates more salary variation than any other factor.
Federal government is the single largest employer of history majors and offers clear, predictable salary progression. GS-12 to GS-14 positions ($80,000 to $130,000+) are attainable for experienced professionals. Intelligence agencies, the State Department, and the Department of Defense all value historical analysis skills.
Law (with additional education) provides the highest potential earnings for history graduates. Lawyers earn a median of $145,7603, and history is excellent preparation for legal reasoning and case analysis.
Consulting and corporate analysis employ history graduates who demonstrate strong research and communication skills. Management consulting, market research, and strategy roles pay $70,000 to $130,000 at mid-career.
Education (K-12) follows district pay scales, typically $40,000 to $70,000 depending on state, district, and experience. Our education degree guide covers teaching compensation in detail.
Museums, libraries, and cultural institutions offer meaningful work at moderate salaries. The BLS median of $60,420 for archivists and curators2 reflects mid-career earners, with directors of major institutions earning significantly more.
Publishing and media hire history graduates for editorial, research, and content roles. Salaries range from $40,000 to $80,000 depending on role and organization.
The CIA, NSA, and Department of Defense actively recruit history majors for intelligence analyst positions. These agencies value the ability to analyze primary sources, identify patterns in complex information, and construct evidence-based arguments — skills that mirror academic historical analysis.
Salary by Location
Geography affects history major salaries through both cost of living and industry concentration.
Washington, DC is the best city for history majors in terms of both job availability and salary. Federal agencies, museums, think tanks, law firms, and policy organizations create unmatched demand for people with research, writing, and analytical skills. Federal locality pay makes DC one of the highest-paying markets for government positions.
New York offers strong markets for history graduates in publishing, law, finance, and cultural institutions. Salaries are above the national median, though cost of living erodes much of the advantage.
Boston combines universities, cultural institutions, law firms, and consulting firms in a market that values humanities training. Mid-career history graduates in the Boston area earn above the national median.
State capitals offer government and policy positions for history graduates at state-level salaries, which are generally 10 to 20 percent below federal for comparable roles but often in lower-cost areas.
Remote work has expanded options for history graduates in writing, research, policy analysis, and consulting roles. The shift to remote has particularly benefited history graduates who previously felt geographically limited to DC, New York, or university towns.
Highest-Paying Career Paths With This Degree
Attorney (with law school) represents the highest-earning pathway for history majors. The median lawyer salary of $145,7603 puts this well above any history-specific career. History is one of the best pre-law majors, and law school admissions offices know it.
Intelligence Analyst at federal agencies earns $80,000 to $130,000+ at the GS-12 to GS-15 level. These roles directly use historical analysis skills in a national security context.
Policy Director / Senior Policy Analyst at think tanks and government agencies earn $90,000 to $140,000. These roles combine research expertise with leadership and strategic thinking.
Museum Director / Chief Curator at major institutions earn $80,000 to $150,000+. The Smithsonian, Metropolitan Museum, and similar institutions pay well for senior leadership, though competition is intense and the path is long.
Management Consultant at major firms hire history graduates (especially those with MBAs or master's degrees) for their analytical and communication skills. Mid-career consulting salaries reach $100,000 to $180,000.
For all career options, see our history careers guide.
What Actually Moves the Needle on Your Salary
Career path selection is the dominant factor. A history major who becomes a lawyer earns $145,760 at the median. A history major who becomes an adjunct professor earns $25,000 to $40,000. Same degree, completely different financial outcomes. Make this choice deliberately, not by default.
Graduate or professional education has the highest impact on history major salaries. A JD, MBA, MPA, or professional master's degree dramatically expands career options and earning potential. A PhD in history leads to academia, which has poor financial returns unless you secure a tenure-track position (and fewer than half of new PhDs do).
Quantitative skills create salary premiums for history graduates in the same way they do for other humanities majors. Learning data analysis, statistics, or GIS transforms you from "someone who writes well" to "someone who writes well and handles data," which is a much more valuable (and rarer) combination.
The single most underappreciated career accelerator for history majors: learn to write policy memos and executive summaries. Academic history trains you to write long-form analytical prose. The professional world needs people who can distill complex analysis into one-page briefs. History majors who can write a crisp two-page policy memo are in high demand in government, consulting, and corporate strategy.
Professional certifications in archival science (CA — Certified Archivist), project management (PMP), or specific technical skills add $5,000 to $15,000 in salary for history graduates in relevant fields.
For related salary comparisons, see our data on English major salaries and liberal arts salaries. If you are rethinking your major choice, our guide to choosing a major can help you weigh options.
FAQ
How much do history majors make right out of college?
Entry-level salaries range from $30,000 to $40,000 for museum and archival positions, $38,000 to $50,000 for research assistant and government entry-level roles, and $42,000 to $65,000 for paralegal, consulting, and corporate positions. The variation is wider than most majors.
Is a history degree useless for making money?
No. The "useless" narrative is based on comparing entry-level history salaries to entry-level engineering salaries. At mid-career, history graduates in law, government, consulting, and policy earn competitive salaries. The degree itself is not the problem. The problem is graduates who do not strategically apply their skills.
What is the highest-paying job for history majors?
Lawyers with history backgrounds earn a median of $145,7603. Intelligence analysts, policy directors, and management consultants with history degrees also earn above $100,000 at mid-career. These paths typically require additional education or targeted career development.
Do history majors need graduate school?
For the highest-paying career paths, yes. Law school, MBA programs, and professional master's degrees (MPA, MIA) significantly expand earning potential. For museum and archival careers, a master's in library science or museum studies is often required. A PhD is only financially justified if you secure a tenure-track academic position.
How does a history salary compare to other humanities majors?
History salaries are comparable to English, political science, and anthropology at entry level. At mid-career, history graduates who enter law, government, or consulting tend to out-earn other humanities majors because these fields particularly value historical analysis skills.
Can history majors earn six figures?
Yes, in several paths: law, senior government positions (GS-14 and above), management consulting, intelligence agency leadership, and major museum/cultural institution director roles. Reaching six figures typically requires additional education and seven to fifteen years of experience.
What skills do history majors need to increase their earning potential?
Data analysis and quantitative methods, concise professional writing (policy memos, executive summaries), foreign language proficiency, and comfort with digital tools. The combination of deep humanities training and practical business or technical skills creates the strongest salary outcomes.
- History Degree Guide — Overview
- Is It Worth It?
- Career Paths
- Requirements
- How Hard Is It?
- Internships
- Best Colleges
Footnotes
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Historians. BLS. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/historians.htm ↩
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Archivists, Curators, and Museum Workers. BLS. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/curators-museum-technicians-and-conservators.htm ↩ ↩2
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Lawyers. BLS. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/lawyers.htm ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4