History degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in history earn a median $50,540 four years after finishing, across 454 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in history earn $55,860, $6,189 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is elementary and middle school teachers (5%).
Median across 454 colleges; middle half $46,105–$55,973.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $37,564–$83,250. 6,241 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "History"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$20,222/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs history graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in history actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 5% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Other Managers | 4% | — | — | — | — |
| Secondary School Teachers | 4% | $70,930 | -0.2% | — | — |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Retail Sales Workers | 2% | $48,520 | -3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent | ECS |
| Human Resources Workers | 2% | $76,700 | +6.1% | — | — |
| Retail Salespersons | 2% | $35,410 | -0.3% | No formal educational credential | EC |
| Paralegals And Legal Assistants | 2% | $62,890 | -0.3% | Associate's degree | CIE |
These 8 jobs account for 23% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
History earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,133 (7) | — |
| Arizona | $53,268 (4) | — |
| Arkansas | $45,097 (5) | — |
| California | $55,413 (31) | $58,657 (855) |
| Colorado | $50,874 (7) | $59,211 (177) |
| Connecticut | $56,937 (10) | $59,662 (103) |
| District of Columbia | $65,182 (4) | — |
| Florida | $48,416 (12) | $50,375 (252) |
| Georgia | $46,898 (12) | $53,625 (175) |
| Idaho | $49,625 (3) | — |
| Illinois | $48,857 (15) | $62,049 (254) |
| Indiana | $53,708 (9) | — |
| Iowa | $49,313 (7) | — |
| Kansas | $50,016 (3) | — |
| Kentucky | $46,425 (6) | — |
| Louisiana | $46,315 (7) | — |
| Maryland | $56,318 (9) | $68,149 (126) |
| Massachusetts | $55,973 (21) | $65,628 (233) |
| Michigan | $46,909 (11) | $45,686 (106) |
| Minnesota | $48,067 (5) | — |
| Missouri | $41,996 (9) | — |
| Nebraska | $47,767 (4) | — |
| Nevada | $55,230 (3) | — |
| New Hampshire | $51,977 (4) | — |
| New Jersey | $53,745 (17) | $64,797 (223) |
| New York | $54,561 (41) | $71,500 (558) |
| North Carolina | $47,060 (12) | $50,274 (256) |
| Ohio | $46,441 (28) | $40,928 (179) |
| Oklahoma | $47,245 (4) | — |
| Oregon | $53,566 (6) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $52,871 (28) | $57,190 (287) |
| Rhode Island | $54,001 (3) | — |
| South Carolina | $46,510 (8) | $49,325 (104) |
| Tennessee | $48,502 (10) | $50,103 (120) |
| Texas | $51,946 (28) | $56,854 (464) |
| Utah | $54,370 (5) | — |
| Vermont | $54,694 (3) | — |
| Virginia | $53,186 (17) | $61,930 (308) |
| Washington | $54,350 (8) | $63,242 (160) |
| West Virginia | $41,214 (3) | — |
| Wisconsin | $47,891 (11) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where history graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 30 in Florida, 40 in Virginia, 68 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington and Lee UniversityVA | $100,087 | — |
| 2 | University of Southern CaliforniaCA | $79,940 | $12,638 |
| 3 | Virginia Military InstituteVA | $72,630 | $19,500 |
| 4 | University of VirginiaVA | $71,187 | $19,352 |
| 5 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA | $66,518 | $17,627 |
| 6 | California State University-East BayCA | $65,217 | $20,000 |
| 7 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $64,755 | $13,068 |
| 8 | William & MaryVA | $63,632 | $17,750 |
| 9 | University of California-San DiegoCA | $61,745 | $17,467 |
| 10 | University of California-Santa CruzCA | $60,519 | $18,279 |
| 11 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVA | $59,819 | $20,499 |
| 12 | National UniversityCA | $59,645 | $29,687 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
History degree questions
How much do History graduates make?
History graduates earn a median $50,540 four years after finishing, across 454 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $46,105 to $55,973; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in history, the median is $55,860 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a History degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in history earn a median $55,860: $6,189 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $20,222 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do History graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in history, the most common jobs are elementary and middle school teachers (5%), other managers (4%), secondary school teachers (4%). Elementary And Middle School Teachers earn a U.S. median $64,170.
How much do History graduates earn in Florida?
Across 12 Florida colleges reporting, History graduates earn a median $48,416 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $50,375.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “History degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/history.