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Field of degree: History

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History field of degree. Employment: 1,311,530. Median annual wage: $72,000.

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Table 1. History degree, 2024
Data	History	All fields
Employment	1,311,530	65,886,610
Median wage	72,000	73,000
Percent employed part time	15	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	61	61
Percent with an advanced degree	52	39
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Chart 1. Types of history, 2024
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.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a history degree, by occupational group, 2024.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a history degree, by occupational group, 2024
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Educational instruction and library occupations	18
Management occupations	17
Legal occupations	11
Business and financial operations occupations	10
Sales and related occupations	8
Other	36
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

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
Occupation	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2024	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2024	Percent growth, projected 2025–35	Typical entry-level education
Lawyers	10	91	5	Doctoral or professional degree
Elementary school teachers, except special education	6	50	0	Bachelor's degree
Managers, all other	4	22	5	Bachelor's degree
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	4	55	0	Bachelor's degree
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	3	75	18	Doctoral or professional degree
Chief executives	2	32	3	Bachelor's degree
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	2	57	0	Master's degree
Management analysts	2	35	10	Bachelor's degree
Financial managers	1	22	10	Bachelor's degree
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers	1	6	-4	High school diploma or equivalent
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau.

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 October 29, 2026).

Last modified date: October 29, 2026