History & Language Major Guide: Overview and RoEDU™ Opportunities 2025

The History & Language major builds core foundations in this discipline and prepares students with practical, career-relevant skills. Use RoEDU™ to find programs that match your goals.

Within History, students often explore key subfields and specializations that provide targeted expertise.

Graduates translate classroom knowledge into real-world impact across sectors through hands-on projects and internships.

As part of History, this major connects to diverse, high-demand fields and interdisciplinary pathways.

Salary Outlook

Entry-level salary
$76,462

Typical starting pay soon after graduation.

Mid-career salary (10y)
$120,892

Estimated after a decade of experience.

Experienced salary (20y)
$162,469

Seasoned professionals at ~20 years.

Weighted median over last 5 years
CAGR 8.0%

CAGR (compound annual growth rate) summarizes average yearly change across the observed period.

Estimated lifetime earnings

40 years, present value
$3,058,480

Employment-weighted across mapped SOCs; entry ≈ 85% of median; historical CAGR shown for last 5y; projections capped at 3% CAGR; lifetime is 40-year present value at 3% discount.

Career Opportunities & Salaries

Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) • Median wages, employment, and growth projections

OccupationMedian WageTotal JobsGrowth RateEducation
History Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC: 25-1125
Occupation: History Teachers, Postsecondary
$81,500
19,860
N/A
N/A
Historians
SOC: 19-3093
Occupation: Historians
$74,050
3,140
N/A
N/A
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC: 25-1062
Occupation: Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
$84,290
11,430
N/A
N/A
Managers, All Other
SOC: 11-9199
Occupation: Managers, All Other
$136,550
630,980
N/A
N/A
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
SOC: 25-2031
Occupation: Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
$64,580
1,072,540
N/A
N/A
Interpreters and Translators
SOC: 27-3091
Occupation: Interpreters and Translators
$59,440
53,360
N/A
N/A

Historical Career Trends (2020-2024)

Historical data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020-2024) • Salary trends and employment growth over 5 years

History Teachers, Postsecondary

6.0%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$81,50019,860
2023$82,14020,610
2022$79,40018,250
2021$78,13018,590
2020$76,89020,450

Historians

17.4%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$74,0503,140
2023$72,8903,040
2022$64,5403,120
2021$63,9402,910
2020$63,1002,770

Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

6.9%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$84,29011,430
2023$86,03011,570
2022$80,9109,340
2021$78,9109,040
2020$78,8409,960

Managers, All Other

9.5%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$136,550630,980
2023$133,560589,750
2022$128,620543,290
2021$124,650497,890

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

2.7%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$64,5801,072,540
2023$65,2201,045,170
2022$62,3601,042,090
2021$61,8201,020,240
2020$62,870991,000

Interpreters and Translators

13.6%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$59,44053,360
2023$57,09051,560
2022$53,64052,160
2021$49,11052,170
2020$52,33056,920

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

10.1%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$77,01021,170
2023$78,76020,820
2022$76,03019,520
2021$77,03019,640
2020$69,92022,790

Colleges offering History & Language

Modesto Junior College

RoEdu™

803

Net Price

$14k

Earnings

$47k

Averett University

RoEdu™

659

Net Price

$25k

Earnings

$48k