What is one good career for a history major?
To help you identify careers that are good for history majors, we asked career coaches and recruiters this question for their best recommendations. From Journalism to Museum Curator, there are several career options that may be best suited for history majors and those who love history.
Here are the nine best careers for history majors and history lovers:
- Journalism
- Paralegal
- Park Ranger
- Genealogist
- Proposal Management
- Careers in Government Institutions
- Archivist
- History Teacher
- Museum Curator
Journalism
A history major could be a great journalist. Journalism is a field where knowledge of past events matters the most. Also, a history major will be able to analyze the impact of present situations by analyzing past events. This ability is great for a journalist as s/he would be able to provide an expert overview of the present-day events. As a history major, one must have developed a knack for fact-finding and data collection. This also pays off well in the journalism industry. The ability to draw a conclusion after paying attention to the fact will make the reporting authentic.
Caroline Lee, CocoSign
Paralegal
Many history majors find jobs in the legal sphere after earning their degree. A few employers even hire college graduates without legal experience and provide on-the-job training to them. A paralegal must be able to research, organize, and write clearly, as does a history major. Laws, regulations, and legal articles related to a case must be found by a paralegal or legal assistant, as well as gathering facts about a case, searching for previous cases, and finding laws, regulations, and legal articles.
Daniel Tejada, Straight Up Growth
Park Ranger
One great career idea for a history major is park ranger. Many local and national parks are filled with a rich and storied history. As a park ranger, that history degree will come in handy for research and leading tours of the park for visitors. Being a ranger also means being outside and walking the land you protect each day.
Tony Chan, CloudForecast
Genealogist
This is a professional researcher who compiles data about ancestry. Entering this career path is a brilliant way to combine your love of history and research skills. What’s more, every case is different and exciting as you never know what you will find. Although a degree in history is not required from those who want to start a genealogist career, I believe history majors may find the profession particularly rewarding. Nowadays, we can observe the great growth in interest in family history and genealogy. At the same time, technological development and online resources make it easier to track the connections between the past and the present. Therefore, the genealogist job is in demand.
Agata Szczepanek, MyPerfectResume
Proposal Management
A good career option for a History major is Proposal Management. In the DoD space we recruit History, Law, and English majors specifically because their degree focus has prepared them for writing on a hyper-focused level with little room for error. Careers in Proposal Management can pay anywhere from 75K for entry-level to the 200K range for the extremely seasoned individuals in leadership roles.
Oftentimes these opportunities come with very competitive benefits packages and can be done remotely. Many roles with DoD contracting companies will require you to obtain a US Security Clearance, which they will sponsor. If you are a history major and wanting to look beyond the confines of teaching roles, consider Proposal Management. This will take you places you never dreamed of going!
Sarah Peck, AEVEX Aerospace
Careers in Government Institutions
History majors can find themselves a good career in government administration. Clerical work within government institutions is vital to the inner workers of functional society. History majors often study the picture in human affairs and that includes the evolution of major institutions like government. Much of history is the story of governments and how they have overcome the challenges that confronted their citizens.
Working in government administration is an opportunity for history majors to gain real-world experience inside of the institutions that have been the subject of a significant portion of their studies. This is work that history majors will not only find interesting, but work that helps modern society to function. Don’t forget to also look for opportunities that you are passionate about whether that be in government or other industries and roles.
Sean Doherty, Box Genie
Archivist
Archivists take historical information and make it public after organizing it accordingly. These historians evaluate and organize old records and documents, such as books, letters, recordings, and materials. Archivists work in universities, libraries, museums, historical societies, hospitals, government institutions, religious communities, and wherever it’s important to retain records of people or organizations
Ray Leon, Pet Insurance Review
History Teacher
If you’ve graduated with a degree in history, the skills you’ve gained allow you to choose from various career paths. One of the most interesting is working as a history teacher. So, if you have leadership skills, like to share the knowledge and advise students or create lesson plans, teaching can be a great career option for you. As a history teacher, you have many job opportunities at every level of the education system.
Elementary schools, high schools, and universities are waiting for your resume. Moreover, you can choose between public and private institutions. Wondering about earnings? The average varies from $54,800 to $81,000. So, give teaching a chance.
Nina Paczka, MyPerfectResume
Museum Curator
History majors have their respective countries and the world’s history in the palm of their hands. They could use this information to teach other people the information they have acquired over the years in museums. This is a good alternative for history majors because they get to use some of their knowledge in a field that does not require much technical work and research.
Ivy Bosibori, USBadCreditLoans
Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published.
