# Historians

> Research, analyze, record, and interpret the past as recorded in sources, such as government and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.
- **Entity Type:** role
- **Schema Version:** role.v1
- **Soc Code:** 19-3093.00
- **Summary:** Research, analyze, record, and interpret the past as recorded in sources, such as government and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.

## Aliases

- Collections Specialist
- Historian
- Historical Interpreter
- Researcher
- County Historian
- Historic Architectural Resources Curator
- Historic Interpreter
- Historic Preservation Coordinator
- Historic Sites Registrar
- Research Historian
- Architectural Historian
- Art Historian

## Tasks

| Text | Type | Iwa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as from books, pamphlets, and periodicals. | Core | 4.A.1.a.1.d |
| Organize data, and analyze and interpret its authenticity and relative significance. | Core | 4.A.1.a.1.r |
| Prepare publications and exhibits, or review those prepared by others, to ensure their historical accuracy. | Core | 4.A.3.b.6.c |
| Organize information for publication and for other means of dissemination, such as via storage media or the Internet. | Core | 4.A.3.b.6.c |
| Conduct historical research as a basis for the identification, conservation, and reconstruction of historic places and materials. | Core | 4.A.1.a.1.r |
| Conserve and preserve manuscripts, records, and other artifacts. | Core | 4.A.3.a.2.h |
| Research the history of a particular country or region, or of a specific time period. | Core | 4.A.1.a.1.r |
| Present historical accounts in terms of individuals or social, ethnic, political, economic, or geographic groupings. | Core | 4.A.3.b.6.c |
| Conduct historical research, and publish or present findings and theories. | Core | 4.A.1.a.1.r |
| Determine which topics to research, or pursue research topics specified by clients or employers. | Core | 4.A.1.a.1.n |
| Recommend actions related to historical art, such as which items to add to a collection or which items to display in an exhibit. | Core | 4.A.1.b.2.j |
| Coordinate activities of workers engaged in cataloging and filing materials. | Supplemental | 4.A.4.b.4.j |

## Emerging Tasks

| Text |
| --- |
| Coordinate artifact donations on behalf of a museum. |
| Create and revise scripts for the tour guides. |
| Write policies and procedures for archival collection care and research protocols. |

## Activities

| Name | Iwa |
| --- | --- |
| Prepare materials for preservation, storage, or display. | 4.A.3.a.2.h |
| Conduct historical research. | 4.A.1.a.1.r |
| Collect archival data. | 4.A.1.a.1.d |
| Instruct college students in social sciences or humanities disciplines. | 4.A.4.b.3.b |
| Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations. | 4.A.3.b.6.c |
| Collect data about customer needs. | 4.A.1.a.1.n |
| Plan social sciences research. | 4.A.2.b.2.s |
| Evaluate characteristics of archival or historical objects. | 4.A.1.b.2.j |
| Communicate with clients about products, procedures, and policies. | 4.A.4.a.1.b |
| Translate information for others. | 4.A.4.a.1.c |
| Collect information from people through observation, interviews, or surveys. | 4.A.1.a.1.l |
| Design layout of art or product exhibits, displays, or promotional materials. | 4.A.2.b.2.o |
| Recommend changes or corrective procedures. | 4.A.4.b.6.e |
| Manage clerical or administrative activities. | 4.A.4.b.4.j |
| Coordinate project activities with other personnel or departments. | 4.A.4.b.4.j |
| Edit written materials. | 4.A.2.b.1.g |
| Edit documents. | 4.A.2.b.1.g |

## Capabilities

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Written Comprehension | ability | 4.88 |
| Reading Comprehension | essential_skill | 4.75 |
| History and Archeology | knowledge | 4.6 |
| Written Expression | ability | 4.25 |
| Writing | essential_skill | 4.12 |
| Critical Thinking | essential_skill | 4.12 |
| English Language | knowledge | 4.07 |
| Active Listening | essential_skill | 4 |
| Speaking | essential_skill | 4 |
| Active Learning | essential_skill | 4 |
| Oral Comprehension | ability | 4 |
| Oral Expression | ability | 4 |
| Near Vision | ability | 4 |
| Inductive Reasoning | ability | 3.88 |
| Deductive Reasoning | ability | 3.75 |
| Speech Clarity | ability | 3.75 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | knowledge | 3.57 |
| Geography | knowledge | 3.5 |
| Speech Recognition | ability | 3.5 |
| Administrative | knowledge | 3.46 |
| Complex Problem Solving | transferable_skill | 3.38 |
| Information Ordering | ability | 3.38 |
| Education and Training | knowledge | 3.27 |
| Learning Strategies | essential_skill | 3.25 |
| Fluency of Ideas | ability | 3.25 |
| Category Flexibility | ability | 3.25 |
| Social Perceptiveness | transferable_skill | 3.12 |
| Instructing | transferable_skill | 3.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | transferable_skill | 3.12 |
| Problem Sensitivity | ability | 3.12 |
| Communications and Media | knowledge | 3.05 |
| Monitoring | essential_skill | 3 |
| Coordination | transferable_skill | 3 |
| Selective Attention | ability | 3 |
| Fine Arts | knowledge | 2.92 |
| Time Management | transferable_skill | 2.88 |
| Originality | ability | 2.88 |
| Customer and Personal Service | knowledge | 2.86 |
| Persuasion | transferable_skill | 2.75 |
| Flexibility of Closure | ability | 2.75 |

## Skills

| Name | Type |
| --- | --- |
| Reading Comprehension | Common Skill |
| Writing | Common Skill |
| Critical Thinking | Common Skill |
| English Language | Common Skill |
| Active Listening | Common Skill |
| Active Learning | Common Skill |
| Inductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Deductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Speech Recognition | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft Word | Common Skill |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Excel | Common Skill |
| Geography | Specialized Skill |
| Adobe Acrobat | Specialized Skill |
| Information Ordering | Specialized Skill |
| Complex Problem Solving | Common Skill |
| Learning Strategies | Specialized Skill |
| Social Perceptiveness | Common Skill |
| Instructing | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft SharePoint | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft Access | Specialized Skill |
| Adobe Photoshop | Specialized Skill |
| Adobe InDesign | Specialized Skill |
| Time Management | Common Skill |
| Negotiation | Common Skill |
| Systems Analysis | Specialized Skill |
| Mathematics | Common Skill |
| Visualization | Specialized Skill |
| Reference Management Software | Specialized Skill |
| LinkedIn | Specialized Skill |
| Email Software | Specialized Skill |
| Database Management Systems | Specialized Skill |
| Audio Editing Software | Specialized Skill |
| Adobe Dreamweaver | Specialized Skill |
| Depth Perception | Common Skill |
| Telecommunications | Specialized Skill |
| Foreign Language | Common Skill |
| Chemistry | Specialized Skill |
| Psychology | Specialized Skill |
| Physics | Specialized Skill |

## Tools

| Example | Category | Hot | In Demand |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Adobe Acrobat | Document management software | yes | yes |
| ESRI ArcGIS software | Geographic information system | yes | yes |
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | yes | yes |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | yes | yes |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Presentation software | yes | yes |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | yes | yes |
| Adobe InDesign | Desktop publishing software | yes | no |
| Adobe Photoshop | Graphics or photo imaging software | yes | no |
| Extensible markup language XML | Enterprise application integration software | yes | no |
| IBM SPSS Statistics | Analytical or scientific software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Access | Data base user interface and query software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP | Web platform development software | yes | no |
| Microsoft SharePoint | Document management software | yes | no |
| Structured query language SQL | Data base user interface and query software | yes | no |
| Adobe Dreamweaver | Web page creation and editing software | no | no |
| Archival databases | Information retrieval or search software | no | no |
| ArchiveGrid | Information retrieval or search software | no | no |
| Archives Wiki | Information retrieval or search software | no | no |
| Audio editing software | Music or sound editing software | no | no |
| Corel WordPerfect Office Suite | Word processing software | no | no |
| Database management systems | Data base management system software | no | no |
| Digital image collections | Information retrieval or search software | no | no |
| Digital mapping software | Map creation software | no | no |
| Email software | Electronic mail software | no | no |
| Geographic information system GIS software | Geographic information system | no | no |
| Geographic information system GIS systems | Geographic information system | no | no |
| Google Books NGram Viewer | Information retrieval or search software | no | no |
| Gutenberg-e | Data base user interface and query software | no | no |
| Library of Congress digital collections | Information retrieval or search software | no | no |
| LinkedIn | Web page creation and editing software | no | no |
| National Archives online databases | Information retrieval or search software | no | no |
| National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) | Information retrieval or search software | no | no |
| Page markers | Internet browser software | no | no |
| ProQuest Archive Finder | Information retrieval or search software | no | no |
| QuarkXPress | Desktop publishing software | no | no |
| Reference management software | Data base user interface and query software | no | no |
| Relational database management system RDMS | Data base management system software | no | no |
| Scanning software | Optical character reader OCR or scanning software | no | no |
| Searchable online catalogs | Information retrieval or search software | no | no |
| Smithsonian Institution digital archives | Information retrieval or search software | no | no |

## Work Context

| Name | Value |
| --- | --- |
| E-Mail | 4.66 |
| Indoors, Environmentally Controlled | 4.49 |
| Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team | 4.4 |
| Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams | 4.39 |
| Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals | 4.27 |
| Deal With External Customers or the Public in General | 4.2 |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate | 4.06 |
| Contact With Others | 4.04 |
| Freedom to Make Decisions | 4 |
| Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities | 3.77 |
| Frequency of Decision Making | 3.67 |
| Spend Time Sitting | 3.65 |
| Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results | 3.62 |
| Telephone Conversations | 3.46 |
| Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers | 3.31 |
| Time Pressure | 3.21 |
| Health and Safety of Other Workers | 3.07 |
| Conflict Situations | 2.95 |
| Written Letters and Memos | 2.91 |
| Importance of Repeating Same Tasks | 2.68 |
| Public Speaking | 2.64 |
| Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People | 2.63 |
| Spend Time Standing | 2.59 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | 2.49 |
| Physical Proximity | 2.48 |
| Level of Competition | 2.46 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | 2.3 |
| Spend Time Walking or Running | 2.23 |
| Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled | 2.17 |
| In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment | 2.16 |
| Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions | 2 |
| Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions | 1.97 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | 1.97 |
| Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions | 1.91 |
| Consequence of Error | 1.91 |
| Outdoors, Under Cover | 1.81 |
| Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings | 1.68 |
| Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable | 1.63 |
| Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling | 1.56 |
| Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures | 1.49 |

## Preparation

- **Job Zone:** 5
- **Job Zone Name:** Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- **Education:** Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- **Experience:** Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- **Svp Range:** (8.0 and above)

### Education Distribution

| Label | Percentage |
| --- | --- |
| Master's Degree | 64.48 |
| Bachelor's Degree | 10.19 |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 9.39 |
| Some College Courses | 8.17 |
| Doctoral Degree | 6.52 |
| High School Diploma | 0.79 |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 0.46 |

## Person Fit

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Humanities | specific_interest_area | 6.75 |
| Social Science | specific_interest_area | 5.53 |
| Investigative | career_interest_type | 5.32 |
| Conventional | career_interest_type | 4.87 |
| Dependability | work_style | 4 |
| Artistic | career_interest_type | 3.7 |
| Creative Writing | specific_interest_area | 3.24 |
| Social | career_interest_type | 3.22 |
| Intellectual Curiosity | work_style | 3 |
| Attention to Detail | work_style | 3 |
| Public Speaking | specific_interest_area | 2.85 |
| Media | specific_interest_area | 2.84 |
| Realistic | career_interest_type | 2.39 |
| Enterprising | career_interest_type | 2.35 |
| Teaching/Education | specific_interest_area | 2.25 |
| Politics | specific_interest_area | 2.15 |

## Related Roles

| Soc Code | Slug | Title | Tier |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 19-3091.00 | role-19-3091-00 | Anthropologists and Archeologists | Primary-Short |
| 25-4011.00 | role-25-4011-00 | Archivists | Primary-Short |
| 25-4012.00 | role-25-4012-00 | Curators | Primary-Short |
| 25-1125.00 | role-25-1125-00 | History Teachers, Postsecondary | Primary-Short |
| 19-3092.00 | role-19-3092-00 | Geographers | Primary-Short |
| 19-3041.00 | role-19-3041-00 | Sociologists | Primary-Long |
| 25-1061.00 | role-25-1061-00 | Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | Primary-Long |
| 27-3023.00 | role-27-3023-00 | News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists | Primary-Long |
| 25-4022.00 | role-25-4022-00 | Librarians and Media Collections Specialists | Primary-Long |
| 19-4061.00 | role-19-4061-00 | Social Science Research Assistants | Primary-Long |
| 25-4013.00 | role-25-4013-00 | Museum Technicians and Conservators | Supplemental |
| 25-1123.00 | role-25-1123-00 | English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | Supplemental |

## Career Clusters

| Cluster | Slug |
| --- | --- |
| Education | education |
| Healthcare & Human Services | healthcare-human-services |

## Education Level

- **Category:** Master's degree

## Study Programs

| Title | Slug |
| --- | --- |
| Architecture and Related Services | architecture-and-related-services |
| Health Professions and Related Programs | health-professions-and-related-programs |
| History | history |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | multi-interdisciplinary-studies |

## Market

- **Median Wage:** 74050
- **Mean Wage:** 78470
- **Pct10Wage:** 38630
- **Pct25Wage:** 55190
- **Pct75Wage:** 96330
- **Pct90Wage:** 128500
- **Employment:** 3140
- **Area Title:** U.S.

## Industries


### Top

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Median Wage | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 54 | 54 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | Sector | 600 | 75070 | 2.74 |
| 541720 | 541720 | Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities | National industry | 230 | 66150 | 185.79 |
| 71 | 71 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | Sector | 90 | 60280 |  |
| 61 | 61 | Educational Services | Sector | 70 | 59520 |  |
| 81 | 81 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | Sector |  | 69060 |  |

### Concentrated

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 541720 | 541720 | Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities | National industry | 230 | 185.79 |
| 54 | 54 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | Sector | 600 | 2.74 |
- **Count:** 5

## Ai Signals

| Source | Label | Score | Scale | Release |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| frey_osborne | Computerization probability | 0.44 | 0-1 probability | 2013-baseline-2016-employment-snapshot |
| felten_aioe | AI occupational exposure | 1.098921 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_image_generation_aioe | Image generation occupational exposure | 0.2597013 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_language_modeling_aioe | Language modeling occupational exposure | 1.490678 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |

## Ai Outlook


### Index

- **Value:** 83
- **Percentile:** 88
- **Band:** High
- **Version:** ai-exposure-index-v1

#### Components

| Percentile | Source |
| --- | --- |
| 78 | felten_aioe |
| 70 | openai_gpts_are_gpts |
| 100 | microsoft_working_with_ai |
- **Component Count:** 3

### Exposure

| Source | Label | Value | Percentile | Band | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| felten_aioe | Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) | 1.098921 | 78 | High | How much this job's abilities overlap with what AI systems can do, across many AI capabilities. A relative research score, not a forecast of job loss. |
| eloundou_gamma | LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) | 0.8421052631578947 | 70 | High | Share of this job's tasks where a large language model plus simple tools could cut the time to do them by at least half. γ is capped at 1.0 and many jobs reach that ceiling, so treat a top score as 'in the top group', not a precise rank. |
| microsoft_applicability | AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) | 0.46212633543518045 | 100 | High | How applicable today's AI assistants are to this job's activities, measured from real Microsoft Copilot conversations. Applicability is not the same as replacement. |

### Frey Historical

- **Source:** frey
- **Label:** Computerization probability (Frey & Osborne, 2013)
- **Value:** 0.44
- **Percentile:** 45
- **Band:** Moderate
- **Note:** A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
- **Teleworkable:** no

### Eloundou

- **Alpha:** 0.10526315789473684
- **Beta:** 0.47368421052631576
- **Gamma:** 0.8421052631578947

### Usage Tasks

| Task | Usage Percent | Importance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Advise or consult with individuals and institutions regarding issues such as the historical authenticity of materials or the customs of a specific historical period. | 0.06809526352764278 | 3.31 |
| Recommend actions related to historical art, such as which items to add to a collection or which items to display in an exhibit. | 0.043445394377364846 | 3.62 |
| Teach and conduct research in colleges, universities, museums, and other research agencies and schools. | 0.03954249842857084 | 3.38 |
| Research the history of a particular country or region, or of a specific time period. | 0.026601317124674933 | 3.83 |
| Research and prepare manuscripts in support of public programming and the development of exhibits at historic sites, museums, libraries, and archives. | 0.02567694703153951 | 3.6 |
| Translate or request translation of reference materials. | 0.021774051082745504 | 2.6 |
- **Usage Release:** 2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2

### Bls

- **Growth Percent:** 2.2
- **Growth Percentile:** 43
- **Direction:** About average
- **Annual Openings Thousands:** 0.3
- **Annual Openings Percentile:** 4
- **Employment2024Thousands:** 3.4
- **Employment2034Thousands:** 3.5

### Sources

| Source | Version |
| --- | --- |
| bls_employment_projections | 2024-2034 |
| dingel_neiman | dingel-neiman-workathome |
| felten_aioe | felten-raj-seamans-aioe |
| frey_osborne | frey-osborne-automation |
| microsoft_working_with_ai | working-with-ai |
| openai_gpts_are_gpts | gpts-are-gpts |

## Ai Playbook

- **Trusted Task Count:** 11
- **Task Count:** 15
- **Total Sample:** 4439
- **Autonomy Median:** 4
- **Dominant Collaboration:** directive
- **Automation Share:** 48.85
- **Augmentation Share:** 45.25
- **Work Use Percent:** 32.08

### Collaboration

| Label | Percent |
| --- | --- |
| directive | 48.14 |
| task iteration | 29.19 |
| learning | 14.44 |
| none | 2.49 |
| validation | 1.62 |
| feedback loop | 0.71 |

### Use Case

| Label | Percent |
| --- | --- |
| personal | 55.87 |
| work | 32.08 |
| coursework | 10.18 |

### Delegated Tasks

| Task | Usage Percent | Collaboration | Autonomy Median | Sample Count |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Organize information for publication and for other means of dissemination, such as use in CD-ROMs or Internet sites. | 0.32054006750843855 | directive | 3 | 3205 |
| Conduct historical research, and publish or present findings and theories. | 0.0343042880360045 | learning | 4 | 343 |
| Teach and conduct research in colleges, universities, museums, and other research agencies and schools. | 0.02010251281410176 | learning | 4 | 201 |
| Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as collect data sources such as books, pamphlets, and periodicals. | 0.01140142517814727 | learning | 3 | 114 |
| Research the history of a particular country or region, or of a specific time period. | 0.01010126265783223 | directive | 3 | 101 |
| Trace historical development in a particular field, such as social, cultural, political, or diplomatic history. | 0.008501062632829104 | learning | 4 | 85 |
| Research and prepare manuscripts in support of public programming and the development of exhibits at historic sites, museums, libraries, and archives. | 0.008301037629703713 | directive | 4 | 83 |
| Recommend actions related to historical art, such as which items to add to a collection or which items to display in an exhibit. | 0.008101012626578323 | task iteration | 4 | 81 |

### Boundary Tasks

| Task | Human Needed Percent | Sample Count |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Research the history of a particular country or region, or of a specific time period. | 99.00990099009901 | 101 |
| Determine which topics to research, or pursue research topics specified by clients or employers. | 98.38709677419355 | 62 |
| Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as collect data sources such as books, pamphlets, and periodicals. | 98.24561403508771 | 114 |
| Trace historical development in a particular field, such as social, cultural, political, or diplomatic history. | 97.6470588235294 | 85 |
| Conduct historical research, and publish or present findings and theories. | 96.50145772594753 | 343 |
| Organize information for publication and for other means of dissemination, such as use in CD-ROMs or Internet sites. | 96.00624024960999 | 3205 |

### Seed Prompts

| Prompt | Collaboration |
| --- | --- |
| Do this for me: organize information for publication and for other means of dissemination, such as use in CD-ROMs or Internet sites. Give me a finished draft I can review and adjust. | directive |
| Teach me how to conduct historical research, and publish or present findings and theories, then check my work as I try it myself. | learning |
| Teach me how to teach and conduct research in colleges, universities, museums, and other research agencies and schools, then check my work as I try it myself. | learning |
| Teach me how to gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as collect data sources such as books, pamphlets, and periodicals, then check my work as I try it myself. | learning |
| Do this for me: research the history of a particular country or region, or of a specific time period. Give me a finished draft I can review and adjust. | directive |
- **Release:** 2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2

## Counts

- **Tasks:** 21
- **Skills:** 47
- **Capabilities:** 120
- **Tools:** 47
- **Related Roles:** 20

## Source

- **Dataset:** gold.onet_role_starter_surface
- **Version:** 30.3
- **Generated At:** 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00
- **Content Hash:** 4fe924050bd98471