Historians Salary by State and Metro Area
Historians in the United States earn a median salary of $76,750/year ($36.9/hr). Salaries range from $42,730 to $131,810 depending on experience. Below, compare salaries across 35 states and 20 metro areas where BLS publishes data.
Where Historians have the most money left over after rent
Median pay minus estimated federal + state + FICA taxes, minus 12 months of rent at HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. Darker green means more money left over each year. Hover any state for the breakdown.
View map data as a table
| State | Median (nominal) | Rent/mo (2BR) | Left after rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $121K | $1,795 | $66K |
| Massachusetts | $122K | $2,347 | $60K |
| District of Columbia | $118K | $2,146 | $59K |
| Minnesota | $103K | $1,384 | $59K |
| Washington | $100K | $1,830 | $57K |
| Virginia | $102K | $1,646 | $55K |
| Oregon | $100K | $1,555 | $52K |
| Illinois | $90K | $1,407 | $50K |
| Louisiana | $81K | $1,191 | $48K |
| Nevada | $80K | $1,501 | $47K |
| Texas | $78K | $1,415 | $46K |
| Tennessee | $71K | $1,215 | $44K |
| Kansas | $73K | $1,066 | $43K |
| Alabama | $72K | $1,085 | $43K |
| California | $97K | $2,471 | $42K |
| Florida | $75K | $1,658 | $41K |
| Nebraska | $70K | $1,113 | $41K |
| North Carolina | $73K | $1,284 | $41K |
| Pennsylvania | $72K | $1,351 | $41K |
| Hawaii | $93K | $2,240 | $40K |
| New Mexico | $67K | $1,119 | $40K |
| Indiana | $64K | $1,144 | $38K |
| Missouri | $64K | $1,097 | $38K |
| Kentucky | $64K | $1,110 | $37K |
| Michigan | $63K | $1,272 | $35K |
| New Jersey | $77K | $2,067 | $35K |
| Ohio | $60K | $1,188 | $35K |
| Georgia | $64K | $1,434 | $33K |
| Connecticut | $67K | $1,679 | $32K |
| Oklahoma | $51K | $1,081 | $28K |
| New York | $63K | $1,917 | $27K |
| South Carolina | $52K | $1,263 | $27K |
| Mississippi | $46K | $1,077 | $24K |
| Wisconsin | $46K | $1,202 | $23K |
| Utah | $34K | $1,350 | $11K |
Historians salary by state
| State | Median | Hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $122K | $58.51/hr | , |
| Maryland | $121K | $57.97/hr | 50 |
| District of Columbia | $118K | $56.87/hr | 250 |
| Minnesota | $103K | $49.54/hr | 50 |
| Virginia | $102K | $49/hr | 180 |
| Washington | $100K | $47.94/hr | 30 |
| Oregon | $100K | $47.87/hr | 40 |
| California | $97K | $46.84/hr | 210 |
| Hawaii | $93K | $44.48/hr | 70 |
| Illinois | $90K | $43.11/hr | , |
| Louisiana | $81K | $38.76/hr | 60 |
| Nevada | $80K | $38.53/hr | , |
| Texas | $78K | $37.62/hr | 130 |
| New Jersey | $77K | $37.06/hr | 130 |
| Florida | $75K | $35.93/hr | 110 |
| North Carolina | $73K | $35.31/hr | 120 |
| Kansas | $73K | $34.9/hr | 40 |
| Alabama | $72K | $34.85/hr | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $72K | $34.6/hr | 70 |
| Tennessee | $71K | $34.17/hr | 40 |
| Nebraska | $70K | $33.68/hr | 30 |
| New Mexico | $67K | $32.11/hr | 40 |
| Connecticut | $67K | $32.1/hr | 40 |
| Missouri | $64K | $30.88/hr | 50 |
| Georgia | $64K | $30.69/hr | 110 |
| Indiana | $64K | $30.66/hr | 30 |
| Kentucky | $64K | $30.54/hr | 50 |
| New York | $63K | $30.27/hr | 410 |
| Michigan | $63K | $30.25/hr | 80 |
| Ohio | $60K | $29.01/hr | , |
| South Carolina | $52K | $25.06/hr | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $51K | $24.51/hr | 50 |
| Mississippi | $46K | $22.12/hr | 90 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | $22.03/hr | 50 |
| Utah | $34K | $16.27/hr | 80 |
Showing 1–10 of 35 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Top paying metro areas
Small sample sizes. BLS metro-level data for this occupation is based on limited survey responses. Metros marked with ⚠ report medians significantly below the national figure, which may reflect small samples rather than actual pay differences.
| Metro area | Median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $122K | , |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $117K | 40 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $116K | 410 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $102K | 40 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $98K | 50 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $97K | 40 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $95K | 70 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $90K | , |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89K | 50 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $82K | 40 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $81K | 40 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80K | 180 |
| Montgomery, AL | $76K | 30 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $68K | 40 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $62K | 60 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $59K | 30 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $49K | 60 |
| Rochester, NY | $47K | 40 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $46K | 30 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $34K⚠ | 80 |