---

History Education

A program that prepares individuals to teach history programs at various educational levels.

Types of Degrees History Education Majors Are Earning

People majoring in History Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	14
Bachelor’s Degree	592
Master’s Degree	245

What History Education Majors Need to Know

Programs in History Education emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that History Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in History Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a History Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to History Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, History Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by History Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for History Education graduates include:

• Educator
• College Professor
• Associate Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Lecturer
• Assistant Professor
• Instructor
• Professor
• World History Teacher
• History Teacher
• Counselor Education Professor
• Literacy Education Professor
• Faculty Member
• Adult Basic Education Instructor
• Mathematics Education Professor

What Can You Do With a History Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in History Education commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Education Teachers, Postsecondary	2.4%	$98,329	$80,157–$116,500
History Teachers, Postsecondary	10.5%	$38,484	$32,772–$44,196

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to History Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	54.0%
Bachelor’s degree	23.9%
Master’s degree	13.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	5.1%
Less than a high school diploma	1.8%
Post-master’s certificate	1.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in History Education?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 46.2% women and 53.8% men among History Education graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	393	46.2%
Men	458	53.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of History Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	663	77.9%
Asian	7	0.8%
Hispanic or Latino	92	10.8%
Black or African American	39	4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	27	3.2%
Race Unknown	14	1.6%
International Students	5	0.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do History Education Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of History Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$49,919
4 years	$50,204
5 years	$56,331

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $56,331 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online History Education Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for History Education. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	0
Bachelor’s	6	7
Master’s	9	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in History Education Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, History Education graduates earn a median of $50,204 four years after completion — roughly 32% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	39,881
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels	8,732
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching	6,964
Reading Teacher Education	5,986
Music Teacher Education	4,544
English/Language Arts Teacher Education	3,018
Mathematics Teacher Education	2,993
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching	2,976
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other	2,352
Social Studies Teacher Education	1,963
Art Teacher Education	1,860
Health Teacher Education	1,472

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.