Historical Sites — Average Employee Salary

The average employee in the historical sites industry earns $40,079 per year ($19.27/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.

$40,079
Avg Annual Pay
14,185
Total Employees
681
Total Establishments
21
Avg Employees/Business

What Do Historical Sites Workers Earn?

At $40,079/year (equivalent to $19.27/hour for a full-time worker), historical sites wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.

Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.

The typical historical sites business employs 21 people. These are larger operations where staffing represents a major cost center and management complexity.

Wages as a Percentage of Revenue

92.8%

For the average historical sites business generating $907K/year with 21 employees at $40,079 each, total payroll represents roughly 92.8% of revenue. This is a labor-intensive industry — payroll is the dominant expense.

What This Means for Business Owners

If you're starting or running a historical sitesbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:

  • Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $52,103/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
  • Typical team size: 21 employees = ~$841,659/year in base payroll.
  • Hourly equivalent: $19.27/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
  • Revenue needed: With average revenue of $907K/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.

See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.

View full Historical Sites revenue benchmarks →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do historical sites employees make?
The average historical sites employee earns $40,079 per year, which is equivalent to $19.27/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
How many people work in the historical sites industry?
The historical sites industry employs 14,185 workers across 681 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 21 employees.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).