Historians Salary
In Utah, historians earn $33,840 at the median, or about $16.27 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $95K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.54), that's roughly $34,341 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,350/month, about 58.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Utah. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $34K actually covers in Utah, month by month
About historians
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What this looks like in Utah
Pay for historians in Utah 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 $1,350/month, which is 58.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.54) 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, Utah
Entry-level historians (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $34K. Top earners bring in $95K or more, a $61K spread from bottom to top.
Historians salary by metro in Utah
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City-Murray | $34K | +0% | 80 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Utah 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 Utah?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $34K, rent takes 58.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,350/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 Utah?
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 $1,350/month FMR, rent would take 59% 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 Utah?
Local pay runs 56% below the national median — $34K here vs. $77K nationally.
How does Utah compare to the national average for historians?
Utah pays $34K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -56%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do historians make in Utah?
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 $95,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $34K enough to live in Utah?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,305/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,350/month, which eats 58.6% 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 Utah?
Utah has a Regional Price Parity of 98.54 (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 $34,341 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.