The average salary for a historian in California is around $97,420 per year.
Avg Salary
Historians earn an average yearly salary of $97,420.
Wages typically start from $60,620 and go up to $146,220.
24% above national average Updated in 2025
Historian earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level historian earnings begin at:
$70.30 per hour
$146,220 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level historian earnings begin at:
$62.14 per hour
$129,250 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level historian earnings begin at:
$46.84 per hour
$97,420 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level historian earnings begin at:
$35.32 per hour
$73,460 per year
10th percentile
Starting level historian earnings begin at:
$29.15 per hour
$60,620 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Historian salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $99,720 |
| Oregon | $99,560 |
| California | $97,420 |
| Hawaii | $92,520 |
| Illinois | $89,670 |
| Colorado | $82,450 |
| Louisiana | $80,620 |
| Nevada | $80,140 |
| Texas | $78,240 |
| New Jersey | $77,080 |
| Florida | $74,740 |
| North Carolina | $73,440 |
| Kansas | $72,600 |
| Alabama | $72,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $71,970 |
| Tennessee | $71,080 |
| Nebraska | $70,050 |
| New Mexico | $66,790 |
| Connecticut | $66,770 |
| Missouri | $64,230 |
| Georgia | $63,840 |
| Indiana | $63,770 |
| Kentucky | $63,530 |
| New York | $62,960 |
| Michigan | $62,920 |
| Ohio | $60,350 |
| Idaho | $58,880 |
| South Carolina | $52,120 |
| Oklahoma | $50,980 |
| Mississippi | $46,010 |
| Wisconsin | $45,810 |
| Utah | $33,840 |
| Massachusetts | $121,710 |
| Maryland | $120,580 |
| District of Columbia | $118,290 |
| Minnesota | $103,040 |
| Virginia | $101,920 |
How do historian salaries compare to similar careers?
Historians earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than school psychologists but more than archivists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| School psychologist salary | $128K |
| Scientist salary | $120K |
| Urban planner salary | $110K |
| Historian salary | $97K |
| Curator salary | $79K |
| Archaeologist salary | $72K |
| Anthropologist salary | $72K |
| Archivist salary | $71K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)