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Field of degree: History

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History field of degree. Employment: 1,296,590. Median annual wage: $65,000.

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Table 1. History degree, 2022
Data	History	All fields
Employment	1,296,590	62,187,580
Median wage	65,000	66,000
Percent employed part time	14	14
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	62	62
Percent with an advanced degree	52	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 1. Types of history, 2022
History majors	Major share
History	98%
United States History	2
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a history degree, by occupational group, 2022.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a history degree, by occupational group, 2022
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Educational instruction and library occupations	18%
Management occupations	18
Legal occupations	11
Business and financial operations occupations	10
Sales and related occupations	7
Other	35
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a history degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a history degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2023–33	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2022	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2022
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	19%	Doctoral or professional degree	3%	72%
Management analysts	11	Bachelor's degree	2	35
Human resources specialists	8	Bachelor's degree	1	19
Managers, all other	6	Bachelor's degree	4	21
Chief executives	5	Bachelor's degree	2	31
Lawyers	5	Doctoral or professional degree	10	92
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	-1	Master's degree	2	56
Elementary school teachers, except special education	-1	Bachelor's degree	5	49
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	-1	Bachelor's degree	5	56
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers	-6	High school diploma or equivalent	2	5
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: History,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/history/history-field-of-degree.htm (visited July 05, 2025).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 29, 2024