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Other Historic Preservation

Types of Degrees Other Historic Preservation Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Other Historic Preservation may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	3
Bachelor’s Degree	2
Master’s Degree	9
Doctor’s Degree	1

What Other Historic Preservation Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Other Historic Preservation develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Other Historic Preservation graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Other Historic Preservation emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Other Historic Preservation program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Other Historic Preservation careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Historic Preservation graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Historic Preservation professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Geographic information system GIS systems	Geographic information system	—
Extensible markup language XML	Enterprise application integration software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Historic Preservation graduates include:

• Image Archivist
• Archivist
• Digital Asset Archivist
• Records Management Specialist
• University Archivist
• Document Management Technician (Document Management Tech)
• Processing Archivist
• Project Archivist
• State Archivist
• Records Specialist
• Records Clerk
• Records Associate
• Reference Archivist
• Accessioning Archivist
• Document Scanner

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Other Historic Preservation graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	57.9%
Bachelor’s degree	18.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.2%
Post-master’s certificate	4.0%
Postsecondary certificate	2.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.1%
Some college courses	1.9%
Less than a high school diploma	0.3%
Doctoral degree	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Historic Preservation?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 60% women and 40% men among Other Historic Preservation graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	9	60.0%
Men	6	40.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Other Historic Preservation graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4	26.7%
Asian	1	6.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	40.0%
Two or More Races	3	20.0%
International Students	1	6.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Historic Preservation Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Other Historic Preservation graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$44,600
4 years	$46,364
5 years	$52,542

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $52,542 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Other Historic Preservation Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Other Historic Preservation graduates earn a median of $46,364 four years after completion — roughly 22% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Historic Preservation and Conservation	30.12
Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis	30.1202
Historic Preservation and Conservation, General	30.1201
Digital Humanities and Textual Studies, General	30.5201
Digital Humanities	30.5202
Maritime Studies	30.2901
Museology/Museum Studies	30.1401
Textual Studies	30.5203
Ancient Studies/Civilization	30.2201
Anthrozoology	30.3401

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.