Right here on Collegelearners, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on highest paying jobs with a history degree, jobs in history field, history degree jobs salary and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.

What Can You Do With A History Degree?

A history degree can lead to a job as a historian, curator, archivist, librarian, teacher or lawyer.

What Can You Do With a History Degree?More

History programs teach students analytical and rhetorical skills that can be used in multiple professions, including academic and nonacademic careers.(HILL STREET STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES)

If it is true that history repeats itself, then a knowledge of history can help you understand the world as it is today and predict changes in the world before they occur. For this reason, those who study history often say their degrees not only allow them to learn about the lives of people in the past, but also help them gain a richer understanding of human behavior and societal trends. And this knowledge is applicable in a wide array of jobs and industries.

“So, what kind of work can someone with a B.A. in history pursue? Turns out, almost anything,” wrote Greg Heilers, a professional author and editor who earned his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California—Santa Barbara, in an email. “I know doctors, lawyers, bankers, farmers, and many other professionals across a wide variety of sectors, all with history degrees.”

“As for myself, I write bylined articles for publications, as well as corporate content and ghostwritten pieces for executives in China, Australia, the U.S., and elsewhere,” Heilers says. “I’ve written press releases for presidential candidates and websites for non-profits. While I can never trace a single element of ‘winning’ a gig or job back to my history degree, I am grateful for the opportunity to have studied human nature in depth, and continue to do so through my work to this day.”[ 



Traci Parker, an assistant professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Massachusetts—Amherst who earned a Ph.D. degree in history from the University of Chicago, suggests that prospective history students study history while exploring another academic discipline simultaneously.

“People forget that you can meld your interests together,” she says. One way someone can pursue an academic interest in history while learning about another academic subject is by studying business history.

Jean-Paul Benowitz – an adjunct history faculty member, director of student transition programs and prestigious scholarships and fellowships at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania – says a degree in history has many potential applications. “Every job and every career requires a knowledge of context,” Benowitz wrote in an email. “Everyone needs to understand the circumstances forming the setting for an event, statement, or idea in order to fully understand, assess, and explain a situation. A degree in history provides people with context.”[ 



Benowitz says history programs teach students analytical and rhetorical skills that can be used in multiple professions, including academic and nonacademic careers.

“In addition to a career as a professional historian, history majors (may also) have careers in law, public service, (diplomacy), publishing, journalism, film, theater, clergy, administration, and basically anything which requires critical thinking, research, and effective verbal and writing skills of communication,” he wrote in an email.

Vince Houghton, the historian and curator at the International Spy Museum in the District of Columbia and a U.S. Army veteran, says before pursuing his doctorate in diplomatic and military history at the University of Maryland—College Park, he never imagined he would end up working in a museum. “I had no intention whatsoever of working in a museum,” he says. “I didn’t even think of a museum as a possible path.”

Houghton says that, when pursuing his doctorate, his intention was to find a government job after he finished his doctorate, working as either an intelligence or policy analyst. “I kind of stumbled onto this job and realized that it allowed me to do a lot of things that I really loved. … It allowed me to teach. We’re an educational institution, and that’s really kind of the foundation of what this museum is about. It also allowed me to write. … But here’s the fun part about it. I don’t have to write all kind of stodgy academic books.”

Houghton says one thing he enjoys about his museum curator and historian job is that it allows him to produce both peer-reviewed academic publications and also general interest history books that appeal to lay readers.

Jobs for History Grads

Experts on careers for history program alumni say that the following types of jobs are common among these graduates:

• High school history teacher
• Community college history lecturer
• College or university history professor
• Government historian
• Historical consultant
• Political advisor
• Museum curator
• Archivist
• Lawyer
• Researcher
• Analyst
• Diplomat
• Journalist
• Writer

Parker says history degree-holders often obtain private-sector research jobs. “When I was at the University of Chicago as a graduate student and I would advise (history) students there, I was surprised how many students ended up going into some sort of research, like research analysis for business firms (or) for financial institutions. …They actually courted a lot of history students because of their ability to analyze and write.”

Parker notes that a significant number of history degree-holders wind up attending law school and becoming attorneys, and many others become educators. Those with degrees in history may also find jobs in the field of public history through roles as archivists, librarians and museum curators, Parker says.[ 

READ: Choose the Right College Major for Law School. ]

Ronald Auerbach, a career coach based in the Seattle region, says a history education can come in handy in a business job.

“So, in the business world, those with a degree or major in history, are extremely good and comfortable with researching,” he wrote in an email. “And (they) can provide a historical context, even reminding you of something that might have been tried or accomplished from another time and/or place. Something you may not even be aware of, forgotten, or didn’t even think there was a link to in the very first place. So when it comes to corporate strategy, even marketing strategy, history majors and degree holders are quite useful.”

David Allison, manager of on-site programs at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, says there are many jobs where training in history is an asset.

“A degree in history has traditionally been viewed – like many humanities degrees – as a waste of time and money,” Allison wrote in an email. “However, most history programs are especially adept at preparing students to think critically and broadly about how and why the world is the way that it is. Moreover, individuals with degrees in history have had lots of training in how to think clearly and then elucidate those thoughts on the page through the written word. These skills are useful in a wide variety of professions.”

A history degree gives you the skills that can take you into a variety of careers from museum and heritage work to teaching or accountancy

Job Options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Academic researcher
• Archivist
• Heritage manager
• Historic buildings inspector/conservation officer
• Museum education officer
• Museum/gallery curator
• Museum/gallery exhibitions officer
• Secondary sKchool teacher

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Academic librarian
• Archaeologist
• Broadcast journalist
• Civil Service administrator
• Editorial assistant
• Human resources officer
• Information officer
• MarKeting executive
• Policy officer
• Politician’s assistant
• Solicitor
• Talent agent

Remember that many employers accept qualifications from graduates with any degree subject, so don’t restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Take a few minutes to answer the Job Match quiz and find out what careers would suit youTry Job Match

Work Experience

Within the museums and heritage sector pre-entry work experience is highly valued. Look for volunteering or work experience opportunities within the area in which you’re interested. For example, if you’d like a career in curatorship, try to get experience working with museum collections.

Use any opportunities to build up a network of contacts as well as provide the skills required for your chosen job.

If you’re looking for a career in a different area, such as banking or law, internships offer the chance for more structured work experience and are usually well advertised, making them easier to find. Competition for places is strong so research the company well before applying.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical Employers

History graduates are valued by a wide range of employers and organisations including heritage organisations, museums and libraries. Other typical employers include:

• accountancy firms
• archive and records offices
• banks
• charities
• higher education institutions (HEIs)
• international development organisations
• law firms
• management consultancies
• publishing companies
• retailers
• schools
• television and radio broadcasters.

National and local government and the public services also attract history graduates, particularly the civil service (with some graduates applying to the Civil Service Fast Stream), NHS management, the police and armed services.

Find information on employers in creative arts and design, public services and administration, teaching and education and other job sectors.

Skills For Your CV

A degree in history develops your:

• critical reasoning and analytical skills, including the capacity for solving problems and thinking creatively
• intellectual rigour and independence, including the ability to conduct detailed research
• ability to construct an argument and communicate findings in a clear and persuasive manner, both orally and in writing
• capability to work without direct supervision and manage your time and priorities effectively
• ability to discuss ideas in groups, and to negotiate, question and summarise
• capacity to think objectively and approach problems and new situations with an open mind
• appreciation of the different factors that influence the activities of groups and individuals in society.