How To Become A Catalog Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a catalog specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The days of the mailed catalog from stores like Sears Roebuck may be long gone, but catalogs are still useful tools for companies to share their products with customers. Many companies have switched to online catalogs to show their latest offerings. Catalog specialists make sure that the eCatalogs are in tip-top shape.

For catalog specialists, it's all about presentation. They make sure that product descriptions and images work together to convey how useful a product will be to a consumer. The catalog specialist also uses digital tools like photo editing software and SEO optimization to increase the catalog's efficacy. They also make sure that all products are cataloged correctly.

Most catalog specialists have some experience with sales or marketing, so they know how to meet the needs of a buyer. They also need to have some technical experience with basic programming, website design, and editing software. While many catalog specialists have bachelor's degrees, practical experience is often more important than a diploma. On average, catalog specialists are compensated $42,190 a year for their skills.

ScoreCatalog SpecialistUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $49,886

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.5

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 6.19%

Black or African American 9.33%

Hispanic or Latino 15.85%

Unknown 6.44%

White 61.68%

Gender

female 50.34%

male 49.66%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

5.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a catalog specialist

Explore catalog specialist education requirements

Most common catalog specialist degrees

Bachelor's

68.9 %

Associate

12.2 %

Master's

11.3 %

Start to develop specific catalog specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
OCLC	19.34%
Cataloging	13.94%
Product Data	10.74%
Marc	9.47%
Photoshop	8.39%

Complete relevant catalog specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New catalog specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a catalog specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real catalog specialist resumes.

Research catalog specialist duties and responsibilities

Recruit, manage and motivate volunteers in public education, professional education, service and rehabilitation and tobacco control programs.
Process gift materials using SirsiDynix Workflows and OCLC.
Contact FBA sellers with coaching to resolve seller-creat errors.
Offer support through design processes, development and QA status.

Prepare your catalog specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your catalog specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a catalog specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable catalog specialist resume templates

Build a professional catalog specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your catalog specialist resume.