Career Overview
Research, analyze, record, and interpret the past as recorded in sources, such as government and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.
Also Known As
- Collections Specialist
- Historian
- Historical Interpreter
- Researcher
Alternate Job Titles
- Architectural Historian
- Art Historian
- Collections Specialist
- County Historian
- Dance Historian
- Dramatic Arts Historian
- Field Court Researcher
- Film Historian
- Genealogist
- Genealogist Researcher
- Health Historian
- Historian
- Historian Developer
- Historic Architectural Resources Curator
- Historic Interpreter
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as from books, pamphlets, and periodicals.
- Organize data, and analyze and interpret its authenticity and relative significance.
- Prepare publications and exhibits, or review those prepared by others, to ensure their historical accuracy.
- Organize information for publication and for other means of dissemination, such as via storage media or the Internet.
- Conduct historical research as a basis for the identification, conservation, and reconstruction of historic places and materials.
- Conserve and preserve manuscripts, records, and other artifacts.
- Present historical accounts in terms of individuals or social, ethnic, political, economic, or geographic groupings.
Emerging Responsibilities
As this field evolves, you may also:
- Coordinate artifact donations on behalf of a museum.
- Create and revise scripts for the tour guides.
- Write policies and procedures for archival collection care and research protocols.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- History and Archeology
- English Language
- Sociology and Anthropology
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Near Vision
- Inductive Reasoning
- Deductive Reasoning
- Speech Clarity
- Speech Recognition
- Information Ordering
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Dependability
- Achievement Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Achievement
- Recognition
- Relationships
- Independence
- Working Conditions
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Master's Degree
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- Extensible markup language XML
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
Tools & Equipment
- Analog-to-digital converters
- Computer inkjet printers
- Computer laser printers
- Data input scanners
- Digital audio recorders
- Digital still cameras
- Laptop computers
- Microfiche readers
- Microfilm readers
- Microphones
- Personal computers
- Photocopying equipment
Work Environment
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $38,630 |
| Median | $74,050 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $128,500 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 3,140
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Anthropologists and Archeologists
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: $64,910
Archivists
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $61,570
Curators
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $61,770
History Teachers, Postsecondary
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: $81,500
Geographers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $97,200
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.