Cataloger vs catalog library assistant

The differences between catalogers and catalog library assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a catalog library assistant has an average salary of $37,403, which is higher than the $34,943 average annual salary of a cataloger.

The top three skills for a cataloger include library catalog, RDA and cataloging. The most important skills for a catalog library assistant are OCLC, library catalog, and cataloging.

Cataloger vs catalog library assistant overview

	Cataloger	Catalog Library Assistant
Yearly salary	$34,943	$37,403
Hourly rate	$16.80	$17.98
Growth rate	6%	-4%
Number of jobs	93	1,068
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	48	47
Years of experience	2	-

Cataloger vs catalog library assistant salary

Catalogers and catalog library assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cataloger	Catalog Library Assistant
Average salary	$34,943	$37,403
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $52,000	Between $27,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	New Haven, CT	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Harvard University	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between cataloger and catalog library assistant education

There are a few differences between a cataloger and a catalog library assistant in terms of educational background:

	Cataloger	Catalog Library Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	History	Area Studies
Most common college	University of Maryland - College Park	University of Maryland - College Park

Cataloger vs catalog library assistant demographics

Here are the differences between catalogers' and catalog library assistants' demographics:

	Cataloger	Catalog Library Assistant
Average age	48	47
Gender ratio	Male, 37.9% Female, 62.1%	Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 4.9% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.5% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	16%	11%

Differences between cataloger and catalog library assistant duties and responsibilities

Cataloger example responsibilities.

Manage category of materials: including books, CDs, films and other documents.
Assign subject headings using LCSH.
Cataloge books and serials for all the school district libraries.
Master the use of cataloguing resources such as WorldCat and HomeBase.
Assist librarians in other EPA libraries with the conversion of their serials list.
Assign LCSH and LCC, as well as a local classification system for legal treatises.

Catalog library assistant example responsibilities.

Manage database reports for acquisitions, inventory, circulation statistics, and cataloging.
Search, input, and retrieve information on the OCLC database.
Develop and revise MARC records for new and existing print materials.
Process books for circulation, including cataloging and preparation for commercial bindery.
Manage database reports for acquisitions, inventory, circulation statistics, and cataloging.
Develop and maintain young adult fiction/nonfiction collection.

Cataloger vs catalog library assistant skills

Common cataloger skills

Library Catalog, 13%
RDA, 11%
Cataloging, 11%
OCLC, 8%
Online Database, 8%
Lcsh, 6%

Common catalog library assistant skills

OCLC, 25%
Library Catalog, 15%
Cataloging, 14%
Library System, 11%
RDA, 11%
Library Collection, 8%

Cataloger vs. similar jobs

Cataloger related careers

Cataloger related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Education, Training, and Library Industry
Cataloger
Cataloger vs Catalog Library Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse education, training, and library jobs