Historian salary
From 32 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 19-3093: Historians
At a glance
- Median up 11% since FY2021. From $63,195 in FY2021 to $70,000 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Historian H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 32 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Historian jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 19-3093, Historians). The median base salary is $70,000, 43% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $63,252 and $88,197.
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 100% of filings
Mid-level · 0% of filings
Senior · 0% of filings
Expert · 0% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $64,500 | 12 |
| Level II · Qualified | – | 0 |
| Level III · Experienced | – | 0 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | – | 0 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
What a Historian does
Research, analyze, record, and interpret the past as recorded in sources, such as government and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.
Typical tasks
- Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as from books, pamphlets, and periodicals.
- Organize data, and analyze and interpret its authenticity and relative significance.
- Prepare publications and exhibits, or review those prepared by others, to ensure their historical accuracy.
- Organize information for publication and for other means of dissemination, such as via storage media or the Internet.
- Conduct historical research as a basis for the identification, conservation, and reconstruction of historic places and materials.
- Conserve and preserve manuscripts, records, and other artifacts.
Preparation
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
O*NET occupation: Historians (19-3093.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Historians), the median annual wage was $76,750 in May 2025, with 3,450 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $70,000, 9% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $55,680 | $42,730 |
| 25th percentile | $63,252 | $57,290 |
| Median | $70,000 | $76,750 |
| 75th percentile | $88,197 | $99,990 |
| 90th percentile | $100,492 | $131,810 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $55,680 |
| 25th | $63,252 |
| 50th (median) | $70,000 |
| 75th | $88,197 |
| 90th | $100,492 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2021 | $63,195 | $55,000 | $70,238 | 16 |
| FY2022 | $60,200 | $55,158 | $75,000 | 18 |
| FY2023 | $70,000 | $62,982 | $76,926 | 19 |
| FY2024 | $76,824 | $49,742 | $92,464 | 10 |
| FY2025 | $70,000 | $60,500 | $90,814 | 17 |
| FY2026 | $70,000 | $65,000 | $83,982 | 15 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Historian make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Historian jobs is $70,000 (32 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $63,252 and $88,197.
What does an entry-level Historian earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $64,500. Level I accounts for 100% of Historian filings.
Do H-1B Historians earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($70,000) is 9% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($76,750, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.