Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between catalog specialists and programming specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a catalog specialist and a programming specialist. Additionally, a programming specialist has an average salary of $55,521, which is higher than the $49,886 average annual salary of a catalog specialist.
The top three skills for a catalog specialist include OCLC, cataloging and product data. The most important skills for a programming specialist are social work, customer service, and veterans.
| Catalog Specialist | Programming Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $49,886 | $55,521 |
| Hourly rate | $23.98 | $26.69 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 37,092 | 39,636 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A catalog specialist creates and organizes catalogs consisting of products and services while adhering to project standards and image specifications. They primarily conduct research and analyses, gather data from different departments, plan and develop catalog drafts, and update databases regularly, all while coordinating with internal and external parties such as vendors or suppliers. They also conduct reviews and quality checks, producing progress reports for managers regularly. Moreover, a catalog specialist usually works in a team setting, which requires a transparent communication line for an accurate and smooth workflow.
A programming specialist is responsible for the overall planning and supervising of programs, mostly in a non-profit organization. It is a programming specialist's job to allocate and manage the budget, hire staff, train volunteers, and ensure that goals are met. It is also their duty to devise strategies and come up with materials that would raise awareness for the program and its cause. Furthermore, a programming specialist is in charge of reaching out to people who will be a valuable asset for the program, such as speakers and educators.
Catalog specialists and programming specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Catalog Specialist | Programming Specialist | |
| Average salary | $49,886 | $55,521 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $82,000 | Between $35,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a catalog specialist and a programming specialist in terms of educational background:
| Catalog Specialist | Programming Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between catalog specialists' and programming specialists' demographics:
| Catalog Specialist | Programming Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3% | Male, 30.7% Female, 69.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 6.2% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 5.9% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |