Historians Salary
In Salt Lake City-Murray, UT, historians earn $33,840 at the median, or about $16.27 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.87), that's roughly $33,548 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,241/month, about 53.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $34K actually covers in Salt Lake City-Murray, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salt Lake City-Murray’s Regional Price Parity (100.87). 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 Salt Lake City-Murray
Pay for historians in Salt Lake City-Murray runs about 56% below the U.S. median of $77K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,241/month, which is 53.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.87) 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 historians.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
Entry-level historians (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $34K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $3K 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 annually. We'll email you when Salt Lake City-Murray numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a historian afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salt Lake City-Murray?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $34K, rent takes 53.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,241/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for historians in Salt Lake City-Murray?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new historians typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,305/month. At HUD’s $1,241/month FMR, rent would take 54% 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 Salt Lake City-Murray?
Local pay runs 56% below the national median — $34K here vs. $77K nationally.
How does Salt Lake City-Murray compare to the national average for historians?
Salt Lake City-Murray pays $34K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -56%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.87), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do historians make in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT?
The median is $33,840 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,840, and experienced historians can clear $37,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $34K enough to live in Salt Lake City-Murray?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,305/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,241/month, which eats 53.8% 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 Salt Lake City-Murray?
Salt Lake City-Murray has a Regional Price Parity of 100.87 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median historians salary is worth about $33,548 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.