History Jobs in the United States

History Jobs Overview

Are your favorite books history books and your favorite movies period pieces? You might be interested in pursuing history jobs. There's a wide range of jobs for people with a history degree. As a historian, you might spend your workdays researching time periods, analyzing and preserving historical documents, or teaching history. These are some of the most common jobs:

• Archivist: Archivists preserve historical records, such as documents and photographs.
• Writer: Historians write books, articles, and other informative materials.
• Museum curator: Museum curators acquire and store items for museums. They also plan exhibits and oversee collections.
• Researcher: Researchers plan, conduct, and present research for academic institutions, government agencies, nonprofits, and private companies.
• Professor: Professors teach history classes at universities and colleges.
• Librarian: Librarians with a history degree can work at specialized libraries, such as those affiliated with a historical society.
• Museum manager or director: Museum directors manage a museum or a specific department.
• Nonprofit historian: Historians at nonprofit organizations educate the public about a historic time or event, raise funds for the organization, and conduct research.
• Consultant: Historians working for a consulting firm may specialize in historic preservation, historic architecture, building revitalization and restoration, or a variety of other areas.
• History teacher: History teachers teach students in elementary, middle, and high schools.

Salaries

Salaries for history jobs vary depending on the job title and state. To find detailed salary information, such as the median salary in your city, use Monster's Salary Tool.

Here are some examples of median salaries nationwide:

• History teacher: $46,227
• Archivist: $51,967
• College professor: $58,208
• Researcher: $60,120

How to Find History Jobs That Fit You

Think about what you want to specialize in early in your career. Consider whether you're more of an introvert or extrovert. Another factor to consider is opportunities for advancement. If you want to take on a leadership role in the future, find a job with room for growth. Don't forget to evaluate the workplace culture to see if it's a good fit for you. You can often find information on the company's "about" page, "career" page, or in their job description.

How to Apply

Once you have a history degree, you're ready to apply for history jobs. How you present yourself in your resume and cover letter can make or break your chances of getting the job. These are some key things to keep in mind when writing a resume and cover letter:

• Instead of only explaining your responsibilities, explain what you accomplished. It's beneficial to use numbers to show the impact you made.
• Optimize your resume for applicant screening software (ATS) by including relevant skills and job titles from the job description.
• Pay attention to details in the job description. For example, an employer may provide instructions, such as asking you to send resume samples or complete a short assignment.

Get Expert Help With Your Resume and Cover Letter

Need more advice on writing a resume that will land you job interviews and help you find the right fit? Use Monster's Professional Resume Writing Services. An expert will rewrite your resume, add popular keywords for your profession, and optimize it so it's more likely to get past the screening software. Monster's writers can also create a new cover letter for you that shows your unique value proposition and gives the hiring manager or recruiter a call to action. After polishing your resume, create a Monster profile to quickly apply to jobs and get discovered by hiring managers.

How to Follow Up With an Employer

Timing is key when following up on a job application. Too soon, and you'll appear impatient. Too late, and the job might already be gone. A good timeline is to follow up within a week.

In your follow up, confirm that the employer received your application, make a brief pitch about why you'd be successful at the job, and ask about the hiring timeline. The follow up shows you are interested in the role and proactive and it gives you another opportunity to promote yourself.

Interviewing Tips

Come to your job interview well-prepared. Familiarize yourself with the employer and their focus. For example, make sure you know the top literature in the time era you'll be focusing on. The next step is to prepare for interview questions.

These are some questions you might get when interviewing for history jobs:

• What does your research process look like?
• Which is your favorite historic period?
• What are some of your role models, either historical figures, or historians?
• What primary and secondary sources do you use?

Dress according to the job. Try to find out the dress code of the workplace before you go to the interview by asking the recruiter or looking at the institution's social media channels.

What to Do When You Get an Offer

Before you sign on the dotted line, evaluate the offer. If isn't what you expected, it's time to negotiate, but first, reiterate your excitement about the position and say thank you.

Negotiate with a reasonable number in mind by using Monster's Salary Tool to find out the range for your title and location. Keep in mind that the salary range for history jobs will differ based on the type of organization. A non-profit organization, for example, may offer less than a for-profit corporation. A government job may pay less but include a more generous benefits package. When you're happy with your offer, make sure to get it in writing. A written job offer should include the salary, benefits, job title, and starting date.

Career Paths

It's important to find a job you like and a company that offers room to grow. These are some common career paths for historians:

• Teaching: As a historian, you can work as a subject teacher in high schools, but you'll also need to follow state requirements for a single-subject teaching credential. If you enjoy working with kids, this may be just the job for you.
• Academia: One of the most common sectors for historian jobs is academia. Jobs for historians in academia include university professors and researchers. A common academic career path is assistant professor, associate professor, professor, distinguished professor. If you want to take on a leadership role, aim to become a department chair.
• Research: After a few years as a researcher, you can apply for a job as a senior researcher. Many positions in higher education combine instruction and research.
• Preservation and interpretation: As a historian in this specialty, you'll work to preserve historic objects and interpret their meaning for museums and historical sites. Common history jobs in this field are archivist and curator. These jobs can eventually lead to a role as a museum director or manager.

To network, learn about new job opportunities, and expand your knowledge, consider joining a professional organization for historians. These are some of the major ones:

• American Historical Association
• The Organization of American Historians
• World History Association
• National Council for History Education

Similar Occupations

Are you still contemplating different careers? These are some similar jobs that may interest you:

• Genealogist
• Archeologist
• Anthropologist