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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

$42,000

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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
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Personality Traits

Curious
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Earnings

Because so many people in genealogy are hobbyists, and others work only part time, it is difficult to estimate annual salaries. Payscale.com reported 2019 median earnings of $42,000 for full-time genealogists. Salaries ranged from less than $25,000 to $99,000 or more.

Most genealogists, whether self-employed or working for a genealogy service company, charge by the hour. According to the...

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...