Career comparison
High School Teacher vs. History Professor
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
History professors earn more at the median ($83,820 vs. $72,040), while high school teachers usually get to work faster (4 years plus licensing of training). High school teachers teach teenagers a subject and prepare them for college, careers and life. History professors teach college students how the past shaped today and how to study it.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| High School Teacher | History Professor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $72,040 | $83,820 |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $48,780 – $107,600 | $48,410 – $162,160 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | -0.2% (little or no change) | 0.0% (little or no change) |
| Openings per year | 63,500 | 1,500 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Training time | 4 years plus licensing | 6–8 years after a bachelor’s |
| Key credential | State teaching license | Ph.D. in history |
| Work setting | High school teachers work in classrooms and labs, with after-school activities, meetings and events.. | Faculty work in classrooms, offices, libraries and archives.. |
What each job does
High School Teacher
- Plan and teach lessons in a subject
- Grade assignments and exams
- Prepare students for state and AP exams
- Manage classroom behavior
- Differentiate instruction
History Professor
- Teach history courses
- Teach primary source analysis
- Research in archives
- Publish articles and books
- Mentor students
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with people, creative work, and high-pay. Both are part of the education & childcare field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose high school teacher if…
- I love my subject
- I enjoy working with teenagers
- I can manage a classroom
Choose history professor if…
- I love history
- I like digging through archives
- I like writing
Still torn? Take the High School Teacher fit quiz and the History Professor fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, high school teacher or history professor?
History Professors earn more at the median: $83,820 versus $72,040 for high school teachers, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
High School Teachers typically train faster (4 years plus licensing) than history professors (6–8 years after a bachelor’s).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects history professors to grow 0.0% from 2025–35, compared with -0.2% for high school teachers.