Doesn’t matter the major, esp if you’re coming from a HYPSM. History, bio, math, IR…as long as you have the requisite skillets- critical thinking, good writing and speaking skills, etc. - you’ll get the same outcome. Same pay. You think biology majors get high paying science research positions right out of college? Nope.

Started down the PhD route and bailed after M.A. Enjoyed both the research and teaching but realistically would have ended up in a second tier PhD program, resulting in iffy academic job prospects. Went to law school

Anonymous wrote:Most of the history majors I know of went to LOL school afterwards.

So you don’t know any?

Anonymous wrote:Some History majors must make next to nothing to bring the average salary below $50k with all these IB industry titans in the mix.

history is very mid-table. not great, not bad. you forget these stats are MOSTLY from kids graduating from local and regional colleges, since that 's where most people graduate from college. your history degree from yale won't have this same outcome

https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market#--:explore:outcomes-by-major

Most of the history majors I know of went to LOL school afterwards.

Some History majors must make next to nothing to bring the average salary below $50k with all these IB industry titans in the mix.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Average starting salaries for History majors is $30k-$50k.

exactly.

If you go to a T10, it doesn't matter what you major in. OP hasn't stated if their DC goes to a T10.

Outside of that, without further education (masters, Phd), 99% of history majors with just an undergrad would not earn very much.

Those are starting salaries, not what people make ten years into their career.

Any major is fine. You just have to be willing to hustle and not just wait for jobs that say “history major required” because that’s not happening.

If you have a kid who is willing to think outside the box about opportunities then it’s all fine. If he’s a passive kid and you aren’t independently wealthy, steer him to engineering, accounting, etc where there are clear career paths.

Anonymous wrote:Could the people saying they went into investment banking or became a CEO please give more detail about how? It’s hard to see the connection otherwise. Maybe it was just that these companies recruited heavily from their Ivy League school and it literally wouldn’t have mattered what they had studied?

History and Econ major. Honors program in history. First job was trading futures at the CME in Chicago. History major was invaluable. Had to read fast and assimilate large amounts of information and assign priorities to that information. Plus, trading required a constant ongoing holistic awareness - particularly when it came to eclipsing losses. Had to do lots of algebra on the fly and some stats but no more. Saved every penny and went to a top law school - top of the class and law review editor. The history major wasn’t just a credential but rather developed skills. I started university behind academically as a scholarship athlete and poor kid entirely on my own at age 18. Incredibly grateful to that honors program for catching me up. Best experience of my life, nothing has ever come close. My identical twin was a world renowned PhD in Econ and I could hold my own in discussions with him. We both realized the limits of our skills but together we collectively believed ourselves capable. We were pleased to escape the athletic life - teaching and coaching - of our peers in athletics. . Nothing wrong at all with those careers - they just weren't in our field of interest and I don’t think we would have have been effective in them.

Could the people saying they went into investment banking or became a CEO please give more detail about how? It’s hard to see the connection otherwise. Maybe it was just that these companies recruited heavily from their Ivy League school and it literally wouldn’t have mattered what they had studied?

My DH was a history teacher and a HS teacher. Salary low 100s, but will retire this year at 55 yo with full pension. Loves teaching. Will move to teach in private next year.

I work at a marketing analytics company and one of my young coworkers was a history major. He's an account rep, lots of client communication and project management.

Anonymous wrote:mine is hoping to teach.

FWIW, I know this isn't a high prestige career, but at our private HS, the starting salary is 90k and goes up to 175k after 10 years with full benefits and summers off. It sort of tops out around there, but take on a secondary capacity (ie volleyball coach for a season) and add 10k.

We're well off so can afford helping our kids with down payments and college for their kids, which will make life a whole lot easier. But even without that cushion, it's not a bad outcome.

There aren’t enough eye rolls in the world

Nephew who was a history major (class of 2024), got an investment banking job in NYC.

mine is hoping to teach.

FWIW, I know this isn't a high prestige career, but at our private HS, the starting salary is 90k and goes up to 175k after 10 years with full benefits and summers off. It sort of tops out around there, but take on a secondary capacity (ie volleyball coach for a season) and add 10k.

We're well off so can afford helping our kids with down payments and college for their kids, which will make life a whole lot easier. But even without that cushion, it's not a bad outcome.