Technical services librarian vs cataloger

The differences between technical services librarians and catalogers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a technical services librarian and a cataloger. Additionally, a technical services librarian has an average salary of $50,657, which is higher than the $34,943 average annual salary of a cataloger.

The top three skills for a technical services librarian include library services, collection development and library resources. The most important skills for a cataloger are library catalog, RDA, and cataloging.

Technical services librarian vs cataloger overview

	Technical Services Librarian	Cataloger
Yearly salary	$50,657	$34,943
Hourly rate	$24.35	$16.80
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	118,696	93
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Technical services librarian vs cataloger salary

Technical services librarians and catalogers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Technical Services Librarian	Cataloger
Average salary	$50,657	$34,943
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $69,000	Between $23,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	Charlottesville, VA	New Haven, CT
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Yale University	Harvard University
Best paying industry	Professional	Education

Differences between technical services librarian and cataloger education

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

	Technical Services Librarian	Cataloger
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Library Science	History
Most common college	New York University	University of Maryland - College Park

Technical services librarian vs cataloger demographics

Here are the differences between technical services librarians' and catalogers' demographics:

	Technical Services Librarian	Cataloger
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 32.3% Female, 67.7%	Male, 37.9% Female, 62.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 76.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	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%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between technical services librarian and cataloger duties and responsibilities

Technical services librarian example responsibilities.

Manage integrated library system including OPAC, serials control, cataloging and acquisitions.
Proofread and edit MARC records, perform database clean-up, and maintain records in online catalog.
Coordinate cataloging, classification and processing of books and audiovisual materials.
Identify and refer items that need attention of the cataloging or conservation department
Open new patron accounts, provide customer support regarding account status and work with Polaris systems.

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.

Technical services librarian vs cataloger skills

Common technical services librarian skills

Library Services, 9%
Collection Development, 7%
Library Resources, 5%
Technical Service, 5%
Library Materials, 4%
Emerging Technologies, 4%

Common cataloger skills

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

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Technical Services Librarian vs Cataloger

Updated January 8, 2025

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