History Degree in Salt Lake City, UT — Salary & ROI 2026
History degree analysis for Salt Lake City, UT. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$49K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$69K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
10.7 yrs
in Salt Lake City
Cost of Living
112
index (100 = avg)
History in Salt Lake City, UT Overview
While Salt Lake City has a smaller college scene with 5 institutions, History students benefit from lower tuition costs. Room and board averages $17,800/year, and the car-friendly layout shapes the student experience. Although national enrollment in History has been declining, graduates with skills in Research and Writing remain competitive in the job market. The adjusted starting salary in Salt Lake City is approximately $49,280.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
5
Public Tuition
$9,222/yr
Private Tuition
$38,396/yr
Room & Board
$17,800/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$10,636/yr
Unemployment
6%
Graduation Rate
52%
History Salary in Salt Lake City (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Salt Lake City's cost of living index of 112 (national average = 100).
Note: National average History salary: $44,000 starting, $62,000 mid-career, $78,000 senior level.Salt Lake City adjustment factor: 1.12x based on the local cost of living index.
History ROI Calculator for Salt Lake City
Estimate your return on investment for a History degree using local Salt Lake City tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $9,222 | Private avg: $38,396
Salt Lake City avg aid: $10,636/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$108,088
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$10,080
vs HS diploma in Salt Lake City
ROI Payback Period
10.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Salt Lake City
$115,912
Lifetime earnings premium ($224,000) minus total education cost ($108,088)
Student Loan Payoff for History in Salt Lake City
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Salt Lake City for History
University of Utah
public
$9,222/yr
$36,888 total
Westminster University
private
$38,396/yr
$153,584 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Salt Lake Community College
$4,116/yr
Top Employers for History in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for History graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Salt Lake City Hiring Sectors for Humanities
Publishing
Non-profits
Education
Media companies
Government
Common History Job Titles
History in Nearby Utah Cities
West Valley City, UT
$43K starting · COL 98.5
6 colleges
West Jordan, UT
$44K starting · COL 99.8
5 colleges
Provo, UT
$57K starting · COL 130
7 colleges
Orem, UT
$54K starting · COL 122
4 colleges
Sandy, UT
$46K starting · COL 103.8
4 colleges
St. George, UT
$55K starting · COL 125
2 colleges
Ogden, UT
$45K starting · COL 103
5 colleges
Layton, UT
$43K starting · COL 97.8
4 colleges
Other Humanities Majors in Salt Lake City
Chinese Studies
$62K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$56K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$49K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$56K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$47K starting · 7 yr ROI
Classical Studies
$50K starting · 6 yr ROI
Classics
$56K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$47K starting · 5 yr ROI
History Degree in Salt Lake City — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare History ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Salt Lake City.