Genealogists


Overview

Genealogists

Introduction

Genealogists research the ancestral backgrounds of individuals and families to discover and identify the personal histories of their clients. They search back along family lines to create family trees. Genealogists also research medical histories, adoption records, and conduct period research for writers and filmmakers.

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$77,590

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Employment Prospects

Fair

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Minimum Education Level

High School Diploma


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Experience

None required to get started


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Skills

Information Management|Interpersonal|Organizational|Research


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Personality Traits

Curious|Organized|Problem-Solving

Earnings

Because so many people in genealogy are hobbyists, and others work only part time, estimating annual salaries can be challenging. In 2024, genealogists earned average hourly pay of $29.22, according to PayScale. For those working full time, this equated to $60,778. Using its own methods of analysis, Glassdoor reported that genealogists earned median annual salaries of $77,590 in 2024, with tota...

Work Environment

Because most genealogists are self-employed, they generally can set their own working hours and manage their own time. The profession is usually a solitary one, as genealogists spend much of their time looking through old records and searching library files, or working in their homes, organizing data and updating their records. Their search for information can take them into stuffy, badly lit a...

Outlook

Despite the recent resurgence in popularity, genealogy holds limited prospects for growth in the future. The majority of genealogical work is done by people researching their own families. People consult genealogists about how to get started and may seek professional help when they run into problems. Individuals also hire genealogists to help them research information in other parts of the coun...