Cataloger vs research librarian

The differences between catalogers and research librarians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a cataloger and a research librarian. Additionally, a research librarian has an average salary of $51,263, 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 research librarian are research support, library services, and collection development.

Cataloger vs research librarian overview

	Cataloger	Research Librarian
Yearly salary	$34,943	$51,263
Hourly rate	$16.80	$24.65
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	93	45,828
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Cataloger vs research librarian salary

Catalogers and research librarians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cataloger	Research Librarian
Average salary	$34,943	$51,263
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $52,000	Between $35,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	New Haven, CT	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Harvard University	Harvard University
Best paying industry	Education	Professional

Differences between cataloger and research librarian education

There are a few differences between a cataloger and a research librarian in terms of educational background:

	Cataloger	Research Librarian
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	History	Library Science
Most common college	University of Maryland - College Park	New York University

Cataloger vs research librarian demographics

Here are the differences between catalogers' and research librarians' demographics:

	Cataloger	Research Librarian
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 37.9% Female, 62.1%	Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3%
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, 6.3% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.8% White, 77.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between cataloger and research librarian 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.

Research librarian example responsibilities.

Manage integrated library system including OPAC, serials control, cataloging and acquisitions.
Order materials and perform literature searches using OCLC.
Utilize Microsoft SharePoint to create and maintain the library intranet portal.
Advise clients using factual data in the Lexis Nexis computer system.
Train staff for ILS use.
Provide web content via LibGuides.

Cataloger vs research librarian skills

Common cataloger skills

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

Common research librarian skills

Research Support, 13%
Library Services, 9%
Collection Development, 8%
Research Services, 6%
Library Resources, 6%
Research Projects, 6%

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Cataloger vs Research Librarian

Updated January 8, 2025

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