Do you want a career that integrates your love of history? Whether you’ve got a degree in history and are exploring your graduate career options, or are just a hobbyist who wants to bring their passion for history to work every day, we’ve dug up some of the best jobs for history fans.
Whether you’re more Tony Robinson or Dr Alice Roberts, we’ve found some great-looking history jobs.
Curator
Average salary: £39,166
Museum and art gallery curators manage collections of objects. One curator might suffice in smaller museums with a more specialised collection. For more prominent museums with significant collections, curatorial roles will be broken down by specialisms such as works on paper or sculpture or divided by periods of history.
Most curators will have a relevant degree and might have a postgraduate qualification in Museum Studies. You’ll be expected to have significant historical knowledge and expertise in collection care and cataloguing.
Does a career as a curator sound appealing? Make sure you check our site for the latest listings here.
Archaeologist
Average salary: £28,511
Archaeologists have to be very willing to get their hands dirty. Most archaeologists are employed by local governments or by construction companies to carry out surveys prior to construction work.
They’ll be expected to have a comprehensive knowledge of history, spanning from prehistoric periods, and have been trained in archaeology. Therefore, most archaeologists have at least an undergraduate degree.
Think you’d enjoy digging for gold? Then make sure you’ve seen our latest archaeology jobs here.
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Librarian
Average salary: £30,481
You don’t necessarily need a historical background to become a librarian, but it would definitely help to have a love of literature spanning a broad period of history.
You’ll be responsible for collecting, organising, and issuing library resources such as books, films, audio files, and collections such as local news cuttings.
Most library roles will expect you to have a degree and either an additional qualification in library management or for that to have formed part of your degree studies. However, some library jobs allow you to work while studying, and some smaller library museums rely heavily on volunteers.
Are you a certified bookworm? Check out these library jobs here.
Lecturer
Average salary: £40,758
University lecturers have to be at the top of their game when it comes to their area of expertise and the majority have a PhD.
You’ll be responsible for supporting university students throughout their studies and will often be required to contribute to departmental research and publications.
Contracts aren’t always full-time, or permanent, so until you’re established there could be some career insecurity.
Do you know your Renaissance from your Byzantine? Then perhaps an academic career is for you. Here are our latest lecturer roles.
History teacher
Average salary: £37,802
History teachers tend to have a more general understanding of history so that they can teach the history syllabus that leads to GCSE and A Level. Often they’ll have a degree in History (or sometimes something related, like Classics) and a PGCE.
However, there are other routes to teaching. Public schools do not require a PGCE, and instead favour graduates from established and well-recognised universities. There is also the option to take part in Teach First, which allows people to learn on the job whilst working at schools in underprivileged communities.
The National Education Union has announced strike action in England and Wales over pay and conditions which is leading to a current retention crisis in the sector. Only time will tell if pay does increase.
Excited to support young minds and share your passion for history? Check out the latest roles here.
Tour guide
Average salary: £28,811
This is a great role for hobbyists who may not have a formal qualification in history. Tour guides can work in a range of settings from museums, to galleries, to stately homes, or aboard a bus.
You’ll need to be able to retain a lot of knowledge, answer questions, and be confident dealing with members of the public.
It’s a busy job that requires you to be on the go a lot and quite a few contracts are part-time or seasonal. However, this is a great job if you love getting out and about and meeting new people!
Got a specific passion for a local monument or proud to know everything there is to know about your hometown? Then you should be keeping an eye out for tour guide positions here.
Philanthropy manager
Average salary: £40,253
Passionate about making art and history accessible? Many museums and galleries rely heavily on donations in order to survive.
Philanthropy managers and development teams work tirelessly to secure donations, from encouraging small donations annually to securing large donations from wealthy patrons.
You might be responsible for sending regular mailings to members about new acquisitions or exclusive events, organising private viewings for high-net-worth donors, or coming up with creative ways of asking people to reach into their pockets for some spare change.
You’ll need to have a passion for the collection, and really know your stuff so that you can share your knowledge and impress donors.
Are you great at getting to know what makes people tick? Use your skills for good, and explore the latest philanthropy manager roles here.
Archivist
Average salary: £31,660
Archiving could be the perfect role for someone who enjoys some alone time and is highly methodical.
You’ll be responsible for checking in any new finds that land from archaeologists, or any new work a library or museum has acquired. You’ll assign a catalogue number, organise the item, and ensure that the system is maintained.
It’s a methodical job that requires comprehensive historical understanding, an eye for detail, and the ability to create and follow systems. It’s not the most varied role, but we think it would be pretty satisfying.
You could be employed by a museum, an archive, a heritage organisation, or even a private person or company.
Fancy exploring a career as an archivist? Find the latest jobs here.
Conservator
Average salary: £33,683
Conservators look after and restore objects, artworks, and buildings of historical and artistic importance.
This is a role that combines history or art history with scientific understanding. You’ll need to ensure that conditions are right for display and storage and that items or buildings are kept and maintained in the best possible condition.
You might be employed by a museum or gallery or work in a workshop or creative studio. Some conservators might also work in a lab where they study the items so that they can understand how best to maintain them.
As well as many people entering this profession following on from a degree, some enter this profession via an apprenticeship.
Want to look after history for future generations? Check out our latest conservator jobs here.
Architect
Average salary: £41,489
Do you feel inspired by the world around you and find the idea of creating the buildings of the future exciting? If you know your Somerset House from your Shard this could be a fantastic career.
Architects combine a strong understanding of art, engineering, environmental design, buildings and their history with design skills and utilisation of modern technology.
It’s a prestigious career but you need to do a lot of legwork before you qualify. As well as doing a degree recognised by the Architects Registration Board you then have to complete: A year of practical work experience, a further two years of full-time university studies, a year of practical training, and finally, a qualifying exam.
In reward, RIBA figures show architects with over 5 years’ experience earn an average of around £42,000, with salaries topping out at around £80,000 for partners and directors at high profile architecture firms.
Not put off by all that studying? We’ve got thousands of architecture roles here.
Feeling inspired to start your search for a history-related role? Why not check out all the history jobs in one place here? You’ll find a huge range of jobs up and down the UK.
Read more: 15 strange jobs from history you never knew about