Historians
Machines can already do 53% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 81%. Most of the work is changing now.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Historians in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 53% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 3% of them.
- Forecast: machines can already do half of its tasks, and 81% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 3,450 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $76,750 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 69% for contact with people.
- Also called: Collections Specialist, County Historian, Historian, Historic Architectural Resources Curator.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as from books, pamphlets, and periodicals | 14% | 55% to 85% | |
| Organize data, and analyze and interpret its authenticity and relative significance | 11% | 55% to 85% | |
| Conduct historical research, and publish or present findings and theories | 10% | 55% to 85% | |
| Conduct historical research as a basis for the identification, conservation, and reconstruction of historic places and materials | 8% | 55% to 85% | |
| Research and prepare manuscripts in support of public programming and the development of exhibits at historic sites, museums, libraries, and archives | 8% | 62% to 90% | |
| Prepare publications and exhibits, or review those prepared by others, to ensure their historical accuracy | 5% | 70% to 95% | |
| Organize information for publication and for other means of dissemination, such as via storage media or the Internet | 5% | 70% to 95% | |
| Research the history of a particular country or region, or of a specific time period | 5% | 55% to 85% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills historians use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
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- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School42% of tasks by 2035 · US median $65,030
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Historians?
Machines can already do half of its tasks. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of historians?
Machines can do 53% of the tasks of historians today and 81% by 2035. Most of the routine work moves to machines, and the people in the job move to oversight, judgement and client work.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 19-3093.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Historians: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/historians/