Historic Preservation

Types of Degrees Historic Preservation Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many historic preservation graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	226
Bachelor’s Degree	102
Graduate Certificate	64
Basic Certificate	18
Undergraduate Certificate	11
Associate’s Degree	10
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Historic Preservation Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to historic preservation and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Historic Preservation Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Historic Preservation Majors

A major in historic preservation prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Historic Preservation Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a historic preservation student include the following:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Historic Preservation Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with historic preservation:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Archivists	14.7%	$52,240
Historians	6.1%	$61,140

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Historic Preservation?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 102 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in historic preservation in 2019, making it rank #279 in popularity. The major attracts more women than men. About 76% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of historic preservation majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	2
Black or African American	2
Hispanic or Latino	2
White	89
International Students	1
Other Races/Ethnicities	6

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Historic Preservation. About 1.0% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• Saudi Arabia
• South Korea
• Taiwan

How Much Do Historic Preservation Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that historic preservation students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $23,850 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $23,575 (25th percentile) and $24,125 (75th percentile).

One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to historic preservation.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $56,400 to $66,380 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to historic preservation. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Historic Preservation

Some degrees associated with historic preservation may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for historic preservation careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	3.2%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	3.3%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	5.4%
Some College Courses	6.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	15.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	2.1%
Master’s Degree	60.5%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	3.4%

Online Historic Preservation Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 75 schools offered some type of historic preservation program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	12	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	4	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	2	0
Associate’s Degree	6	0
Bachelor’s Degree	24	2
Post-Baccalaureate	12	0
Master’s Degree	41	2
Post-Master’s	8	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Historic Preservation Worth It?

The median salary for a historic preservation grad is $56,400 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 41% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $330,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Historic Preservation

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to historic preservation.

Major	Number of Grads
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies	37,392
Biological & Physical Science	29,278
International Studies	7,967
Interdisciplinary Studies	6,609
Nutrition Science	4,794
Behavioral Science	3,731
Natural Sciences	2,571
Cognitive Science	2,275
Sustainability Science	2,194
Human Biology	1,460
Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution	1,310
Gerontology	1,281
Human Computer Interaction	1,272
Science, Technology & Society	1,171
Mathematics & Computer Science	1,105
Computational Science	927
Systems Theory	917
Museum Studies	801
Dispute Resolution	668
Multicultural & Diversity Studies	424
Classical & Ancient Studies	303
Marine Science	275
Cultural Studies & Analysis	227
Biopsychology	165
Medieval Studies	108
Accounting & Computer Science	71
Maritime Studies	45
Holocaust Studies	40

References

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.