Secondary school teacher
Secondary school teachers teach one or two subjects to students aged about eleven or twelve to eighteen and prepare them for national exams.
What can you do with a history degree?
Also called: Historical studies · Modern history · Ancient history
Updated How we use data
Quick answer
A history degree studies how societies, cultures, economies and ideas have changed over time, using evidence such as documents, objects and people's memories. You learn to research, weigh evidence and write clear arguments. Graduates often become teachers, lawyers, journalists, policy officers, librarians or researchers, and work in heritage, government and business.
Careers with a history degree
History graduates work in many fields where research, judgement and clear writing matter. Common paths include teaching in secondary schools, law, journalism, government and policy work, and library, archive and museum roles. Many also join graduate programmes in business, finance and the civil service, where employers value analytical skills more than a specific subject. Further study can lead to university teaching and research. Heritage and museum jobs are rewarding but competitive, so volunteering and work experience help.
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Lawyer
Lawyers advise people, businesses and governments on their legal rights and duties, draft legal documents and represent clients in negotiations and in court.
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Journalist
Journalists find, check and report news and stories for newspapers, websites, television, radio, podcasts and social media.
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Policy officer
Policy officers research problems, analyse evidence and advise decision makers on laws, programmes and strategies.
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Librarian
Librarians organise information and help people find, use and evaluate it.
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University lecturer
University lecturers teach students in higher education, carry out research in their subject and publish their findings.
Other roles graduates go into: Archivist · Museum curator · Heritage officer · Civil servant · Political researcher · Records manager
What you study and the skills you gain
Typical topics
- Ancient, medieval and modern history
- World and global history
- Political, social and economic history
- Cultural history and the history of ideas
- Historiography: how history is written and debated
- Working with primary sources and archives
- Public history, museums and heritage
- A dissertation or major independent research project
Skills you gain
- Researching and assessing evidence from many sources
- Writing clear, well-structured arguments
- Analysing the causes and effects of complex events
- Understanding different cultures and points of view
- Managing long independent research projects
- Debating and presenting ideas with confidence
How the degree differs around the world
In the UK and much of Europe, a history bachelor's degree usually takes three years, or four in Scotland, and focuses on history from the start, often with a dissertation in the final year. In the United States and Canada, students usually major in history within a four-year degree that also includes general education courses. In many European countries a bachelor's is often followed by a two-year master's, which may be needed for school teaching or academic work. Entry requirements are usually flexible, although strong writing skills and history at school help. Studying the history of other regions may also require languages.
How do history graduates do?
Earnings and employment by country
The OECD compares graduates by field of study. This subject falls under “Humanities (except languages)”. The first column compares the median earnings of tertiary-educated adults in this field with all tertiary-educated adults (100 = average).
| Country | Earnings index (all graduates = 100) | Employment rate, this field | Employment rate, all graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxembourg | 108 (2023) | 84.8% (2024) | 85.7% |
| Latvia | 108 (2023) | 78.0% (2024) | 87.7% |
| Switzerland | 96 (2023) | 87.4% (2024) | 89.5% |
| United States | 96 (2023) | 84.1% (2017) | 84.3% |
| Romania | 95 (2023) | 92.8% (2024) | 91.5% |
| Mexico | 93 (2023) | 83.6% (2024) | 81.5% |
| Canada | 91 (2020) | 79.0% (2021) | 80.4% |
| Finland | 88 (2022) | 90.9% (2024) | 88.8% |
| Sweden | 86 (2023) | 89.4% (2024) | 89.6% |
| Denmark | 86 (2023) | 75.5% (2021) | 87.8% |
| South Korea | 86 (2023) | — | — |
| Australia | 85 (2020) | 86.9% (2024) | 88.4% |
| Norway | 85 (2023) | 81.7% (2024) | 89.3% |
| Estonia | 84 (2023) | 95.4% (2024) | 89.2% |
| Austria | 84 (2023) | 86.8% (2024) | 86.4% |
| Portugal | 81 (2020) | 85.6% (2024) | 90.7% |
| Slovenia | 79 (2020) | 85.3% (2024) | 90.8% |
| United Kingdom | 77 (2020) | 82.0% (2021) | 84.6% |
| Chile | 75 (2023) | 90.0% (2022) | 85.7% |
| Germany | 71 (2020) | 87.1% (2024) | 88.7% |
| Costa Rica | 53 (2023) | 74.8% (2024) | 79.2% |
| Lithuania | — | 92.9% (2024) | 90.4% |
| Poland | — | 90.9% (2024) | 91.6% |
| Czechia | — | 90.6% (2024) | 88.4% |
| Iceland | — | 90.4% (2016) | 93.6% |
| Slovakia | — | 87.9% (2024) | 90.5% |
| Belgium | — | 86.6% (2024) | 88.5% |
| Netherlands | — | 86.1% (2024) | 90.6% |
| Croatia | — | 85.1% (2024) | 89.7% |
| France | — | 83.2% (2024) | 87.3% |
| Greece | — | 80.5% (2024) | 82.3% |
| Peru | — | 80.1% (2024) | 81.7% |
| Italy | — | 79.7% (2024) | 84.7% |
| Spain | — | 77.3% (2024) | 83.9% |
| Ireland | — | 72.1% (2021) | 86.9% |
| Hungary | — | 71.4% (2024) | 76.2% |
| Türkiye | — | 66.5% (2016) | 72.9% |
Source: OECD, Education at a Glance. Adults aged 25–64 with tertiary education; latest year available, full-time earners where published. Values are for the whole field of study, not this subject alone. Where a country publishes only broad fields, we use “Arts and humanities”.
Graduate earnings in the UK
The UK government links tax records to university records to measure what graduates earn. These figures are for “History” first-degree graduates who were employed in the 2023–24 tax year.
| Time since graduating | Median | Lower quartile | Upper quartile | In work or study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| After 1 year | £23,800 | £18,300 | £28,500 | 89.7% |
| After 3 years | £28,900 | £23,800 | £35,100 | 89.7% |
| After 5 years | £33,000 | £26,700 | £42,500 | 89.5% |
| After 10 years | £41,000 | £29,300 | £57,800 | 86.9% |
Source: UK Department for Education, Graduate labour market outcomes (LEO), tax year 2023–24. Earnings are annual and include only graduates in sustained employment. More UK detail on CourseToJob.co.uk
Is a history degree right for you?
It may suit you if
- You enjoy reading and want to understand why things happened, not just what happened.
- You like forming your own view and defending it with evidence.
- You are comfortable working independently for long periods.
Think twice if
- You want a degree that trains you for one specific job.
- You dislike heavy reading and writing long essays.
- You hope to work in museums or archives but are not ready for strong competition and the further study these jobs often need.
Further study
Many graduates go straight into work or take a teaching qualification. A master's degree is common for archive, museum and heritage roles, and archivists and librarians often need a specialist professional qualification. A PhD leads to university teaching and research, although academic posts are competitive. Some graduates take a law conversion course or a graduate law degree.
Questions about studying history
What jobs can you get with a history degree?
Common jobs include secondary teacher, lawyer, journalist, policy officer, librarian, archivist, museum curator and university lecturer. Many graduates also work in the civil service, politics, publishing, marketing, finance and management consulting, where research and writing skills are valued. Some roles, such as law, teaching and archive work, need further training.
Is a history degree worth it?
For many people, yes. It builds research, writing and reasoning skills that employers in law, government, media and business value. It does not train you for one set job, so your results depend a lot on work experience, networking and further study. The official UK graduate data on this page gives one example of typical outcomes.
Can you become a lawyer with a history degree?
Yes. History is a common background for lawyers because it trains you to analyse evidence and build arguments. In countries where law is a first degree, you usually take a conversion course or a graduate law degree. In the United States and most of Canada, you apply to law school after any bachelor's degree. Qualifying then needs professional training and exams.
Is history a hard degree?
It is demanding in a different way from science degrees. You usually spend less time in lectures and laboratories, but much more time reading and writing on your own, so you need to organise your time well. Students who read widely, take careful notes and start essays early usually do well.
Related subjects
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Politics
A politics degree, often called political science, studies how power works: how governments are chosen and run, how laws and policies are made, and why people and countries cooperate or come into conflict.
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English literature
An English literature degree teaches you to read, analyse and write about novels, poetry, plays and other texts written in English, from medieval writing to the present day.
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Philosophy
A philosophy degree trains you to think clearly about difficult questions, such as what we can know, what is right and wrong, and how minds, language and societies work.
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International relations
An international relations degree studies how countries, international organisations, businesses and other groups interact across borders.
Sources
- OECD — Education at a Glance, labour-market outcomes — Earnings and employment by field of study, adults 25–64
- UK Department for Education — Graduate labour market outcomes (LEO) — CAH CAH20-01-01 — History
- UNESCO — ISCED-F 2013 — ISCED-F 0222
How to cite this page: CourseToJob (2026). What can you do with a history degree? Jobs and salaries. https://coursetojob.com/subjects/history/ (accessed September 26, 2026)