Becoming A Professional Genealogist

The What’s and How’s of Professional Genealogy

Apr 17, 2009

So you've spent an inordinate amount of time on your family history search. There are many possibilities for making money with the skills and experience you've gained.

Perhaps you’ve spent hours scouring public records, visited multiple local libraries, and even traveled to cemeteries. Maybe you’ve traced your family so far back that no one in your family is interested anymore. But maybe you’re still hungering for more, still in love with that feeling of mystery and the joy of making discovery from obscurity. Perhaps, then, it’s time to think about becoming a professional genealogist.

Different Careers in Family History Research

Of course, the most basic career in genealogy is carrying out family history research for clients. Usually, such professional genealogists are paid by the hour, where the rate depends on factors such as accreditation, experience, and scope of the work. Genealogy professionals often specialize in certain topics, such as a locale, special groups such as Native Americans, adoption, and so on.

There are many possible clients for such genealogical work—not just individuals interested in their personal family history. Certain companies that require locating relatives, such as asset recovery firms (which search for relatives when someone dies and his/her assets are unclaimed), often employ professional genealogists to help with such searches. Communities, geneticists, and historians are also other groups that may require the services of a genealogy expert.

However, conducting genealogical research isn’t the only path to earning money with your genealogy skills and experience—many other possibilities abound. For example, many expert genealogists are paid to give lectures on genealogy topics to various audiences; they can also teach genealogical skills and methodology in the form of workshops. Given the recent interest in genealogy, it is also quite possible to earn money by publishing on- and offline.

First Steps in Becoming a Paid Expert

Although it may seem somewhat counterintuitive, one of the very first steps to becoming a professional genealogist is joining a professional organization. There are many such associations, but the most major one is perhaps the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG).

Why would you want to join a professional association before you even become one? The answer is simple: because there is so much you can learn from them. As with any profession, there is much to be learned before one can jump into the job. Although you may feel that you already have everything under your belt, chances are there are still things that have somehow managed to slip by. And the business of genealogy can be quite different from the personal discovery of your family history.

Professional organizations present many opportunities to learn about the nitty-gritty of the field: journals, workshops, lectures, conferences, networking… Who better to learn about genealogical money-making from than the professionals?

Once you’ve decided to become a professional, accreditation is something you would do well to consider. This is especially important for those who want to conduct genealogy research for others: your hourly wage will depend partially on your accreditation, and it will be easier to get clients this way. Not only will clients be more likely to entrust you with such an important and costly project, but you will be listed in certification rosters, which is the way many clients find professional genealogists.

Family history research is often challenging, exciting and fulfilling—the most important qualities in a job. Whether as a supplement to your income or as a full-time occupation, genealogy research may be a great way to make money—and enjoy doing so.

The copyright of the article Becoming A Professional Genealogist in Genealogical Research Methods is owned by Rick Evin. Permission to republish Becoming A Professional Genealogist in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.