American History Degree

American history covers the development of American society, politics, culture and institutions, from the pre-Columbian period all the way to the present.

American history graduates have a varied career path waiting for them. The typical graduate may enter the teaching profession where, depending on degree level, his knowledge of history can be parlayed into a position at a middle school, high school and post-secondary level. Or he may work in research, studying historical events or items for museums, or historical and cultural organizations. A third option would be to enter the communications field as a writer, journalist, editor, multimedia producer, archivist, records manager, librarian or information manager. And a fourth opportunity would be to enter the world of business and advocacy, possibly assisting lawyers and litigators with their work, or helping out nonprofit associations or even corporations needing historical analysis done.

American History Job Description

American history graduates and historians in general perform the following tasks:

• Research, analyze, and interpret the past
• Analyze many sources of information in their research, including records, periodicals, photos, interviews, films, even unpublished manuscripts
• Communicate their research and findings through reports, books, articles, or essays

American History Salaries

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median yearly salary for historians was $51,050 in May of 2009. The middle 50% earned between $32,630 and $76,360. Meanwhile the lowest 10% of forensic science technicians earned less than $25,580 while the top 90% earned more than $95,750.