Anthropologists and Archeologists
Median $70,770
Occupation · SOC 19-3093
Historians: pay and where the jobs are
What historians earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$76,750 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $81,240
- Median hourly wage
- $36.90
- Mean hourly wage
- $39.06
- Employment
- 3,450
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-3093.
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See where your pay falls among historians nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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Use these numbers
How much do historians make?
The median annual wage for historians was $76,750 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $42,730 and the highest-paid 10% more than $131,810. As an hourly rate, the median is $36.90. About 3,450 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Massachusetts ($121,710), Maryland ($120,580) and District of Columbia ($118,290). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Maryland.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for historians looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,730 | $20.55 | $3,561 | $3,043 |
| 25th percentile | $57,290 | $27.54 | $4,774 | $4,018 |
| Median | $76,750 | $36.90 | $6,396 | $5,235 |
| 75th percentile | $99,990 | $48.07 | $8,333 | $6,598 |
| 90th percentile | $131,810 | $63.37 | $10,984 | $8,447 |
Historians: pay by state
35 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$84,015 take-home in national prices
2
$83,236 take-home in national prices
3
$77,307 take-home in national prices
Where a median historian paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | Not published | $121,710 | $59,330 | $127,160 | $88,028 | $83,236 |
| Maryland | 50 | $120,580 | $68,260 | $170,980 | $88,182 | $84,015 |
| District of Columbia | 250 | $118,290 | $60,160 | $156,750 | $84,961 | $77,307 |
| Minnesota | 50 | $103,040 | $72,040 | $147,950 | $75,382 | $76,436 |
| Virginia | 180 | $101,920 | $65,680 | $161,470 | $75,484 | $74,660 |
| Washington | 30 | $99,720 | $65,480 | $116,840 | $77,600 | $72,514 |
| Oregon | 40 | $99,560 | $66,420 | $121,280 | $71,164 | $68,850 |
| California | 210 | $97,420 | $60,620 | $146,220 | $71,283 | $64,382 |
| Hawaii | 70 | $92,520 | $80,290 | $143,020 | $68,300 | $62,119 |
| Illinois | Not published | $89,670 | $71,190 | $111,650 | $67,619 | $67,647 |
| Louisiana | 60 | $80,620 | $52,960 | $115,210 | $63,514 | $72,005 |
| Nevada | Not published | $80,140 | $78,030 | $108,620 | $65,208 | $65,222 |
| Texas | 130 | $78,240 | $37,600 | $116,900 | $63,872 | $65,809 |
| New Jersey | 130 | $77,080 | $51,390 | $105,930 | $59,822 | $54,981 |
| Florida | 110 | $74,740 | $44,280 | $112,260 | $61,410 | $59,382 |
| North Carolina | 120 | $73,440 | $42,980 | $116,620 | $58,074 | $61,567 |
| Kansas | 40 | $72,600 | $49,610 | $124,950 | $56,653 | $62,900 |
| Alabama | 60 | $72,490 | $42,300 | $122,930 | $56,798 | $63,945 |
| Pennsylvania | 70 | $71,970 | $55,350 | $96,100 | $57,201 | $58,624 |
| Tennessee | 40 | $71,080 | $47,090 | $92,270 | $58,835 | $64,041 |
| Nebraska | 30 | $70,050 | $48,840 | $128,940 | $55,802 | $61,932 |
| New Mexico | 40 | $66,790 | $32,760 | $122,770 | $53,843 | $58,391 |
| Connecticut | 40 | $66,770 | $38,960 | $116,130 | $52,546 | $50,716 |
| Missouri | 50 | $64,230 | $38,270 | $105,060 | $51,707 | $56,936 |
| Georgia | 110 | $63,840 | $51,430 | $117,780 | $51,038 | $53,003 |
| Indiana | 30 | $63,770 | $43,320 | $125,290 | $51,567 | $55,253 |
| Kentucky | 50 | $63,530 | $42,260 | $98,530 | $51,120 | $56,700 |
| New York | 410 | $62,960 | $34,300 | $107,970 | $49,662 | $46,017 |
| Michigan | 80 | $62,920 | $52,480 | $86,030 | $50,313 | $52,291 |
| Ohio | Not published | $60,350 | $57,540 | $99,690 | $49,455 | $53,307 |
| South Carolina | 60 | $52,120 | $39,090 | $97,470 | $42,918 | $45,780 |
| Oklahoma | 50 | $50,980 | $39,290 | $88,710 | $41,394 | $47,123 |
| Mississippi | 90 | $46,010 | $34,760 | $69,760 | $38,041 | $43,749 |
| Wisconsin | 50 | $45,810 | $37,510 | $84,590 | $37,618 | $39,979 |
| Utah | 80 | $33,840 | $33,840 | $95,300 | $28,627 | $28,956 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-3093. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.