Code enforcement officer vs loss prevention officer

The differences between code enforcement officers and loss prevention officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a code enforcement officer has an average salary of $40,706, which is higher than the $33,768 average annual salary of a loss prevention officer.

The top three skills for a code enforcement officer include patrol, public safety and community development. The most important skills for a loss prevention officer are patrol, loss prevention, and good judgment.

Code enforcement officer vs loss prevention officer overview

	Code Enforcement Officer	Loss Prevention Officer
Yearly salary	$40,706	$33,768
Hourly rate	$19.57	$16.23
Growth rate	3%	6%
Number of jobs	104,295	106,512
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	High School Diploma, 31%
Average age	40	33
Years of experience	-	-

What does a code enforcement officer do?

Code enforcement officers are professionals who work for the government to ensure that properties within their jurisdiction are following the zoning laws and building ordinances of a city, town, or county. These officers are required to inspect properties and record violations as part of their regular assessment or in response to complaints. They must explain to property owners about building codes and zoning laws so that they can avoid confusion and increase awareness of all violations. Code enforcement officers must also keep records of case violations and complaints while submitting the summary reports to their supervisors.

What does a loss prevention officer do?

A loss prevention officer is a part of a security team who tends to the security of a retail store. Loss prevention officers prevent theft in the store and assist the establishment with theft prevention plans and policies. Typically, they monitor the store's surveillance cameras then walk around for security. They are expected to have a strong will to place themselves in dangerous situations to maintain public safety. It is also their responsibility to determine stock shortages and report missing merchandise.

Code enforcement officer vs loss prevention officer salary

Code enforcement officers and loss prevention officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Code Enforcement Officer	Loss Prevention Officer
Average salary	$40,706	$33,768
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $56,000	Between $22,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	San Rafael, CA	Miami, FL
Highest paying state	Alaska	Virginia
Best paying company	King County	Southern Healthcare
Best paying industry	Government	Hospitality

Differences between code enforcement officer and loss prevention officer education

There are a few differences between a code enforcement officer and a loss prevention officer in terms of educational background:

	Code Enforcement Officer	Loss Prevention Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	High School Diploma, 31%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	California State University - Bakersfield

Code enforcement officer vs loss prevention officer demographics

Here are the differences between code enforcement officers' and loss prevention officers' demographics:

	Code Enforcement Officer	Loss Prevention Officer
Average age	40	33
Gender ratio	Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7%	Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 3.2% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 7.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 4.2% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between code enforcement officer and loss prevention officer duties and responsibilities

Code enforcement officer example responsibilities.

Develop and manage firearms training programs, including weapons selection and qualification standards.
Review variance, special use and any land use applications.
Review plans and specifications for zoning, parking and setback requirements.
Enforce city and state ordinances, patrol city for violations against the city building code and animal laws.
Patrol assign areas within the city limits while operating a city vehicle to enforce nuisance and property maintenance codes.
Create simulations for force-on-force firearms training/defensive tactics for customers and train the trainers at Police/Sheriff departments.

Loss prevention officer example responsibilities.

Manage foreclosure and bankruptcy from inception to completion and mitigate all potential losses within an acceptable range.
Certify in CPR as well as self-defense training including the use of pepper spray.
Review surveillance footage, POS data, and audio of clients operations for theft and operational deficiencies.
Conduct weekly audits in order to ensure merchandise of a certain dollar amount is properly tag EAS tags.
Conduct store, maintenance, safety, and electronic article surveillance (EAS) audits, and 801E audits.
Prepare documentation and analyze data through exception reporting, POS systems, GL, and various other resources and systems.

Code enforcement officer vs loss prevention officer skills

Common code enforcement officer skills

Patrol, 12%
Public Safety, 7%
Community Development, 5%
Municipal Codes, 4%
Code Compliance, 4%
Plumbing, 4%

Common loss prevention officer skills

Patrol, 20%
Loss Prevention, 11%
Good Judgment, 9%
Emergency Situations, 7%
Relevant Parties, 6%
Incident Reports, 6%

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Code Enforcement Officer
Code Enforcement Officer vs Loss Prevention Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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