Humanities
What can you do with a History degree?
Quick answer
A History degree commonly leads to roles such as heritage assistant, museum assistant and research assistant. Five years after graduating, History graduates had median earnings of £33,000 (middle half: £26,700–£42,500), and 89.5% were in sustained work or further study (DfE LEO, 2023–24 tax year). The largest employer sector for History and archaeology graduates is education (19.2% of those in work).
History degrees train archival reading, argument, and context. Graduates enter heritage, research, and policy-adjacent roles. Official figures appear when an extract is loaded.
- Median pay after 1 year
- £23,800
- Median pay after 5 years
- £33,000
- In work or study after 5 years
- 89.5%
- Earnings rank at 5 years
- 82 of 146 subjects
- Top employer sector
- Education
- Graduates in latest cohort
- 7,055
On this page
What jobs can you get with a History degree?
Graduates commonly start as heritage assistant, museum assistant, research assistant or archive assistant. History also builds skills that employers outside the obvious routes ask for, so many graduates move into roles that do not name the subject at all.
Heritage assistant
Helps a heritage site run day-to-day: objects, audiences, and basic records.
Skills these adverts often ask for
- collections care
- visitor information
- events support
Museum assistant
Skills these adverts often ask for
- front of house
- object handling rules
- interpretation
Research assistant
Skills these adverts often ask for
- archives
- citation
- briefing notes
Archive assistant
Skills these adverts often ask for
- cataloguing
- enquiry desk
- digitisation support
Role examples and skills are CourseToJob editorial guidance, not a guarantee of a job. Pay for individual roles varies by employer and location; we do not attach a salary to a role unless an official source publishes one.
Where do History graduates work?
Five years after graduating, the largest employer sectors for History and archaeology graduates in UK employment were education (19.2%), professional, scientific and technical services (17.9%) and public administration and defence (12.1%). One year after graduating, the most common sector was wholesale and retail (13.6%).
| Industry sector | Share of graduates in work | Median earnings in that sector |
|---|---|---|
| Education | 19.2% | £31,500 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 17.9% | £40,300 |
| Public administration and defence | 12.1% | £34,800 |
| Information and communication | 8.5% | £37,000 |
| Wholesale and retail | 7.2% | £28,900 |
| Finance and insurance | 6.3% | £39,500 |
| Administrative and support services | 5.6% | £31,800 |
| Health and social work | 5.6% | £28,900 |
Most common specific industries
- Secondary education — 7.4% of graduates in work, median £32,900
- Administration of the State and the economic and social policy of the community — 7% of graduates in work, median £34,800
- Primary education — 6.4% of graduates in work, median £31,100
- Legal activities — 4.9% of graduates in work, median £50,100
- Provision of services to the community as a whole — 4.6% of graduates in work, median £34,800
- Management consultancy activities — 4.1% of graduates in work, median £42,800
How much do History graduates earn?
Official dataHistory graduates had median earnings of £23,800 one year after graduating and £33,000 five years after graduating in the 2023–24 tax year. The median across all first-degree graduates of GB higher education institutions was £33,700 at five years.
| Years after graduating | Median earnings | Middle half earned | In work or further study | All-subject median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year after graduatingGraduated 2021/2022 | £23,800DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £18,300–£28,500 | 89.7% | £26,400 |
| 3 years after graduatingGraduated 2019/2020 | £28,900DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £23,800–£35,100 | 89.7% | £30,000 |
| 5 years after graduatingGraduated 2017/2018 | £33,000DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £26,700–£42,500 | 89.5% | £33,700 |
| 10 years after graduatingGraduated 2012/2013 | £41,000DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £29,300–£57,800 | 86.9% | — |
How one-year earnings have changed
Which universities have the highest-earning History and archaeology graduates?
Among universities in our index with at least 50 History and archaeology graduates measured, London School of Economics had the highest median earnings five years after graduating (£51,100), followed by University of Oxford (£46,100) and University of Cambridge (£43,900).
| University | Median earnings | Graduates measured |
|---|---|---|
| London School of Economics | £51,100 | 85 |
| University of Oxford | £46,100 | 370 |
| University of Cambridge | £43,900 | 295 |
| University College London | £40,600 | 270 |
| Durham University | £40,300 | 250 |
| University of St Andrews | £39,900 | 190 |
| University of Warwick | £39,500 | 345 |
| University of Bristol | £39,200 | 355 |
| University of Edinburgh | £38,800 | 355 |
| University of Exeter | £38,100 | 360 |
Is History the right degree for you?
EditorialYou may enjoy it if
- You like long-form reading and footnote discipline.
- You want to argue from sources rather than slogans.
- You enjoy museums, archives, or public history.
It may not suit you if
- You wanted a course with no independent research.
- You dislike ambiguity and competing interpretations.
- You expected a single vocational licence.
Interview questions for History graduate roles
EditorialHeritage, museum and research-assistant interviews usually test how you handle sources, visitors, and incomplete catalogues. These prompts are editorial illustrations.
A visitor says a label is wrong. How do you respond on the floor?
What it tests. Courtesy, checking the record, and not inventing a correction on the spot.
How would you write a 100-word object label for a mixed-age audience?
What it tests. Plain language and one idea, not an essay crammed onto a card.
Two secondary sources disagree. How do you show that in a short note?
What it tests. Historiography as a working habit, not a named historian recitation.
You are asked to find everything on a theme in a week. How do you scope the search?
What it tests. Catalogues, keywords, and saying what you did not have time to open.
Why might a digitised scan not be a substitute for the original item?
What it tests. Material evidence and handling rules in heritage work.
Most History courses do not use a standard admissions interview. If a university invites you, it will say so — see UCAS on undergraduate interview invitations.
Illustrative question types for the roles above, not questions from a named employer.
Find History graduate jobs
Searched by the entry-level roles aboveSearch UK vacancies connected to history. These are role matches, not guaranteed graduate-level jobs: read the experience, qualifications and work-permission requirements in each full advert.
Salary filters and ordering use the provider’s data, which can include estimates. Cards below show employer-listed pay only. Cached searches can be up to 30 minutes old; the employer’s advert confirms availability.
Checking vacancies for Heritage assistant…
Prepare your application with graduate cv examples, student cv examples, the free CV builder and the application tracker.
Research exact university programmes
We have not added verified programme records for this subject yet. Use the official university catalogue for current courses, fees and entry requirements.
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Planning to study History in the UK?
Check the exact programme, entry requirements and total cost before applying. International applicants should also confirm qualification equivalence, English-language evidence and visa requirements.
Find UK study guidance for your country · Compare international course-fee examples
Explore the international student guide · Build your study budget and checklist
Universities for History in our index
126 universitiesAn editorial provision index, not a live UCAS catalogue: confirm current courses on UCAS. CourseToJob is not UCAS.Open History in the full university explorer.
Show all 126 universities
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No university matches that search.
Undergraduate applications are made on UCAS, not here.
History degree: frequently asked questions
What jobs can you do with a History degree?
Common starting roles include heritage assistant, museum assistant, research assistant and archive assistant. Five years after graduating, the most common sectors for History and archaeology graduates in work were education (19.2%), professional, scientific and technical services (17.9%) and public administration and defence (12.1%). These are examples, not guaranteed jobs: your experience, location and further training matter.
How much do History graduates earn in the UK?
DfE Longitudinal Education Outcomes data for the 2023–24 tax year shows median earnings for UK-domiciled History graduates of £23,800 one year after graduating, £28,900 three years after graduating, £33,000 five years after graduating and £41,000 ten years after graduating. Each figure describes a different graduating cohort, not one person's pay rise, and it is gross pay for those in sustained employment, not a starting salary offer.
Is a History degree worth it?
It depends on what you want to do. On the official data, 89.5% of History graduates were in sustained employment or further study five years after graduating, with median earnings of £33,000. For comparison, the median across all first-degree graduates of GB higher education institutions was £33,700 at the same point. That places History 82 of 146 subject groups by five-year median earnings. Earnings are only one factor: enjoyment of the subject, accreditation and the route into your target job matter too.
Which universities have the highest-earning History and archaeology graduates?
Among universities in our index with at least 50 graduates measured, the highest five-year median earnings for History and archaeology were at London School of Economics (£51,100), University of Oxford (£46,100) and University of Cambridge (£43,900). These figures reflect entry grades, subject mix and where graduates work, so they are not a measure of teaching quality.
Can international students study History in the UK?
Yes, most UK universities accept international applicants, but entry requirements, recognised qualifications, English-language evidence and overseas tuition fees depend on the university and programme. Check the university course page and international admissions team, then check visa requirements on GOV.UK.
Skilled Worker visas
Sponsorship depends on the job's occupation code and the current Skilled Worker rules, not on a subject's median pay. A Skilled Worker decision uses the higher of the general threshold and the SOC going rate. Subject LEO medians are not sufficient. Read the Skilled Worker job rules on GOV.UK.