Best Jobs for History Majors With Salaries

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History majors have wide-ranging skills that identify answers about large scale problems and events that have transpired. There are many career options that can benefit from the knowledge of a history major. Learn about the opportunities available for history majors, the best jobs to apply for and the skills and qualifications you need so you can find the right career for you.

What is a job for a history major?

A job for a history major is one that’s associated with events and facts. These jobs portray the purpose of events and how society evolved into the present based on those events. Jobs may focus on the application of history to shape the outcomes for the future of their employer.

Best history major jobs

Here are the best jobs for history majors to apply for:

Journalist

National Average Salary: $30,619 per year 

Role and Responsibilities: A Journalist is an individual that investigates news stories affecting people within their community. Also, they’re responsible for gathering information from reliable sources before it’s distributed to the public. Journalists can work in online or print publications, television stations or radio networks.

Curator

National Average Salary: $33,520 per year 

Role and Responsibilities: A Curator is someone that works at a museum and they obtain objects and collections to preserve for future generations to see. They must log all the artifacts they receive in addition to planning and budgeting for exhibitions to showcase their findings.

Park Ranger

National Average Salary: $36,914 per year

Role and Responsibilities: A Park Ranger primarily works for the federal or state government. They’re assigned to protect forests and conservations sites. Additionally, they provide tours to guests surveying the park and discuss the history of the site they’re working at. A history major may want to be a Park Ranger if they admire historical sites an interacting with people.

Research Assistant

National Average Salary: $37,237 per year 

Role and Responsibilities: A Research Assistant browses the internet and other sources to locate information relevant to a certain subject. Some of the documents they’ll use to reference their research include legal documents, along with academic and news articles. Usually, they’ll be working in a laboratory environment.

Librarian

National Average Salary: $45,023 per year

Role and Responsibilities: A Librarian mainly works at a school or a public library and keeps track of informational materials. They monitor the location of digital resources and answer questions from people interested in checking out materials to read on their own time. Typically, you need a library science degree to work in this profession. A history major may decide to work in this role, so they can expand their skill set by using their knowledge to catalog information and organize sources into a library’s database

Social Studies Teacher

National Average Salary: $46,926 per year 

Role and Responsibilities: Social Studies Teachers instruct classes in a public or a private school. They can teach concepts tied to the government, history, geography and civics to students at all grade levels. They pass out and collect assignments, administer exams and grade them to find out their knowledge of these subjects.

Writer

National Average Salary: $48,060 per year 

Role and Responsibilities: A Writer creates content about different topics in varying industries. They’re known for using words to create stories based on their style or one assigned to them. They can write in different settings whether if it’s in an office or at home. Writers can create stories such as poetry, articles and reports that can gain interest from a specific audience.

Communications Specialist

National Average Salary: $50,782 per year 

Role and Responsibilities: A Communications Specialist is similar to the spokesperson for an organization. They write press releases, which can get distributed to the media on newsworthy topics. They speak with reporters about media opportunities and make sure the organization is getting positive coverage. You need to major in communications or journalism to get this degree, but you may pursue this position as a history major if you’re interested in telling stories about an organization’s accomplishments.

Paralegal

National Average Salary: $51,075 per year 

Role and Responsibilities: A Paralegal works in an attorney’s office and helps gather evidence on a case a lawyer is working on. They assist the lawyer in keeping a systematic filing system that organizes and secures confidential information. Also, they’ll try to acquire information to prepare documents before a court case commences. A history major may be interested in working in this role if they want to get their legal career started.

Editor

National Average Salary: $51,353 per year

Role and Responsibilities: An Editor reviews written materials sent by a Writer to check for typos, punctuation and grammatical errors. Once they review it, it can be sent to a manager for approval. They can provide feedback on the content, which can be visible for a writer to review and make changes if necessary.

Lawyer

National Average Salary: $75,812 per year

Role and Responsibilities: A Lawyer represents clients and makes a case in a court to help them win against the opposing party. A case can be criminal or civil, and they can advise clients on what they should say when they’re being cross-examined. Even though you need a law degree to become a lawyer, a history major may choose to enter their field if they’re passionate about the law and using historical data to argue a client’s case.

Historian

National Average Salary: $85,521 per year 

Role and Responsibilities: An Historian reviews past documents and tests their authenticity. They can examine archives, court records and photographs to describe the events that took place. Some historians work with the government, non-profit organizations or companies of all sizes.

Popular skills and qualifications to list on a resume for history jobs

While every job is different, here is a list of popular skills and qualifications you can list on your resume when applying for history jobs:

Writing

Writing is a key skill that you’ll need to learn to become successful in your professional career. Writing allows you to demonstrate the story you’re telling about particular events and the types of evidence you’ve evaluated. You must employ your writing skills to recount your experience and why convey it’s valuable.

Editing

Historians value their editing skills to show that they’re fact-checking their work, and it can be published upon approval. Editing is important when applying for history jobs since this skill indicates how thorough you are when approaching your work. For example, if you’re applying for a job as a paralegal, an employer might say they’re interested in your candidacy due to your experience on your resume. In other words, they saw how much time you took to review your content to ensure it’s quality.

Research and Analytical

Your research skills can exhibit your interest in history and employers needs people with strong research skills to reach their company’s goals. For instance, a company may hire a history major to research the impact of a company’s product made 15 years ago and how the effects of its success can still be felt today by consumers. The value of your research can build a company’s reputation and the way they do business with stakeholders.

Presenting

A history major may work in a position where their presentation skills are needed. This can be the case if they work as a social studies teacher and give presentations to students on how historic events affect their lives today. The way you present historical facts should help students improve their understanding of the subject you’re teaching.

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