Compensation
Median Pay
$83,820
National median annual wage for this occupation.
National Career Overview
History teachers, postsecondary
Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
National Median Pay
$83,820
Projected Growth
-0.2%
Annual Openings
1,700
Career outlook
National Snapshot
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National
Employment
24,600
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Outlook
Projected Growth
-0.2%
Projected employment change through 2034.
Opportunity
Annual Openings
1,700
Estimated openings created each year.
Pathway
Preparation
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
STEP 1
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
STEP 2
Experience
None
STEP 3
Training
None
Top Skills for Success
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Writing & reading
98 / 100
98%
Speaking & listening
97 / 100
97%
Creativity & innovation
95 / 100
95%
Adaptability
90 / 100
90%
Critical & analytical thinking
89 / 100
89%
Interpersonal
66 / 100
66%
Computers & information technology
65 / 100
65%
Problem solving & decision making
65 / 100
65%
Project management
46 / 100
46%
Leadership
43 / 100
43%
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Location Intelligence
Best Places for This Career
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
PRO
Best Metro Areas
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
- Top-paying cities
- Fast-growing markets
- Local opportunity rankings
CAREERGPS INSIGHTS
Career Analysis for History Teachers, Postsecondary
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Is History teachers, postsecondary a Good Career?
Postsecondary history teachers work in higher education, focusing on teaching and scholarship in history. Nationally, there are about 25,000 people employed in this occupation, with a national median annual salary of $81,500. Employment is projected to change by -0.2%, and there are about 2,000 annual openings, indicating ongoing turnover and hiring activity even with flat overall growth. This path typically requires a doctoral or professional degree, reflecting the advanced level of expertise expected. Success in this career draws on a broad mix of skills, including writing and reading, speaking and listening, critical and analytical thinking, and interpersonal abilities. Strength in creativity and innovation, problem solving and decision making, and project management can also be important, alongside comfort with computers and information technology. For people who enjoy in-depth study of history, developing arguments through writing, and working with students in an academic setting, postsecondary history teaching can be a structured, intellectually focused career path to explore.
History Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
Postsecondary history teachers have a national median annual salary of $81,500, with notable variation by location. Among the highlighted states, California stands out with a median salary of $127,170, followed by Massachusetts at $104,900 and New York at $100,400. Colorado and Washington offer median salaries of $78,410 and $83,250, respectively. At the metro level, several areas show particularly high pay: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont reports a median salary of $162,160, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara is at $127,780, and the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro is at $101,170. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria has a median of $96,840, while Boston-Cambridge-Newton is at $105,420. These figures suggest that pay can be substantially higher in certain metropolitan and coastal areas compared with the national median, which may be an important consideration when weighing job offers or planning a geographic job search.
Job Outlook for History Teachers, Postsecondary
National employment for postsecondary history teachers is about 25,000, with projected employment growth of -0.2%. This indicates that overall employment is expected to be essentially flat. Even with this slight negative growth, the occupation has an estimated 2,000 annual openings. These openings reflect ongoing hiring needs, which can result from retirements, career changes, and movement within the profession. The combination of stable overall employment and regular openings suggests that competition for roles may focus on qualifications, education, and skills rather than expansion of total positions. Because projected growth is the same in the listed states and metro areas (-0.2%), regional differences in opportunity are more closely tied to salaries, employment counts, and opportunity scores than to growth variation. People considering this field may want to factor in both the relatively steady employment level and the number of openings when planning their long-term career strategy.
Where Are the Best Opportunities for History Teachers, Postsecondary?
Location makes a clear difference for postsecondary history teachers, both in compensation and in CareerGPS opportunity scores. Among states, California, Massachusetts, and New York combine higher median salaries ($127,170, $104,900, and $100,400, respectively) with the strongest opportunity scores, all above 65. California and New York also have larger employment counts (1,450 and 1,660), which may translate into a broader range of institutions. Colorado and Washington show moderate employment levels (380 and 290) and salaries in the upper $70,000s to low $80,000s, with opportunity scores in the mid‑50s. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and New York-Newark-Jersey City stand out with the highest opportunity scores (77.42 and 77.27) and six‑figure median salaries. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont shows the highest listed median salary at $162,160. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria and Boston-Cambridge-Newton also offer strong salary levels and opportunity scores above 60, making them notable markets to consider.
Education for History Teachers, Postsecondary
Becoming a postsecondary history teacher typically requires a doctoral or professional degree. This reflects the expectation that instructors bring advanced knowledge of history and the ability to engage with scholarship at a high level. In addition to formal education, the skill profile for this occupation is broad. Strong writing and reading skills are central, along with speaking and listening for work in classrooms and academic settings. Critical and analytical thinking supports careful evaluation of historical sources and arguments, while creativity and innovation can help in developing courses and approaches. Interpersonal skills and leadership matter for working with students and colleagues and for leading projects or initiatives. Problem solving, decision making, and project management skills contribute to handling research and teaching responsibilities. Comfort with computers and information technology supports modern academic work. Together, the advanced degree and this mix of skills form the core preparation for success in postsecondary history teaching.
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