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Field of degree: History

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History field of degree. Employment: 1,196,990. Median annual wage: $60,000.

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Table 1. History degree, 2019
Data	History	All fields
Employment	1,196,990	56,820,460
Median wage	60,000	60,000
Percent employed part time	16	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	60	60
Percent with an advanced degree	50	37
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 1. Types of history majors, 2019
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, 2019.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a history degree, by occupational group, 2019
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Educational instruction and library occupations	19%
Management occupations	17
Legal occupations	12
Business and financial operations occupations	9
Sales and related occupations	9
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 2021–31	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2019	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2019
Postsecondary teachers	12%	Doctoral or professional degree	4%	73%
Management analysts	11	Bachelor's degree	1	32
Lawyers	10	Doctoral or professional degree	10	92
Managers, all other	6	Bachelor's degree	4	20
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	5	Bachelor's degree	5	54
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	5	Master's degree	2	56
Elementary school teachers, except special education	4	Bachelor's degree	5	48
Retail salespersons	0	No formal educational credential	1	3
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers	-5	High school diploma or equivalent	1	4
Chief executives	-7	Bachelor's degree	2	30
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 January 06, 2023).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, September 8, 2022