Historians Salary
In Rochester, NY, historians earn $46,630 at the median, or about $22.42 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $145K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.03), that's roughly $48,057 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,573/month, about 48.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K get you in Rochester?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Rochester’s Regional Price Parity (97.03). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About historians
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What this looks like in Rochester
Pay for historians in Rochester runs about 39% below the U.S. median of $77K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,573/month, which is 50.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.03) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for historianss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for historians in metros near Rochester, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $80K | $71K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $49K | $49K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $68K | $71K |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $122K | $112K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Rochester, NY
Entry-level historians (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $145K or more, a $111K spread from bottom to top.
Historians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Historians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $122K | +59% | N/A |
| Maryland | $121K | +57% | 50 |
| District of Columbia | $118K | +54% | 250 |
| Minnesota | $103K | +34% | 50 |
| Virginia | $102K | +33% | 180 |
| Washington | $100K | +30% | 30 |
| Oregon | $100K | +30% | 40 |
| California | $97K | +27% | 210 |
| Hawaii | $93K | +21% | 70 |
| Illinois | $90K | +17% | N/A |
| Louisiana | $81K | +5% | 60 |
| Nevada | $80K | +4% | N/A |
| Texas | $78K | +2% | 130 |
| New Jersey | $77K | +0% | 130 |
| Florida | $75K | -3% | 110 |
| North Carolina | $73K | -4% | 120 |
| Kansas | $73K | -5% | 40 |
| Alabama | $72K | -6% | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $72K | -6% | 70 |
| Tennessee | $71K | -7% | 40 |
| Nebraska | $70K | -9% | 30 |
| New Mexico | $67K | -13% | 40 |
| Connecticut | $67K | -13% | 40 |
| Missouri | $64K | -16% | 50 |
| Georgia | $64K | -17% | 110 |
| Indiana | $64K | -17% | 30 |
| Kentucky | $64K | -17% | 50 |
| New York | $63K | -18% | 410 |
| Michigan | $63K | -18% | 80 |
| Ohio | $60K | -21% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $52K | -32% | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $51K | -34% | 50 |
| Mississippi | $46K | -40% | 90 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | -40% | 50 |
| Utah | $34K | -56% | 80 |
Showing 1–10 of 35 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track historians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Rochester numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a historian afford a 2BR apartment alone in Rochester?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 50.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for historians in Rochester?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new historians typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,994/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 79% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is historian a high-paying job in Rochester?
Local pay runs 39% below the national median — $47K here vs. $77K nationally.
How does Rochester compare to the national average for historians?
Rochester pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -39%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.03), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — below the national median.
How much do historians make in Rochester, NY?
The median is $46,630 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,230, and experienced historians can clear $144,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Rochester?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,129/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 50.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a historians salary go in Rochester?
Rochester has a Regional Price Parity of 97.03 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median historians salary is worth about $48,057 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do historians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.