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The differences between loss prevention agents and community services officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a community services officer has an average salary of $38,039, which is higher than the $36,455 average annual salary of a loss prevention agent.
The top three skills for a loss prevention agent include loss prevention, store management and sales floor. The most important skills for a community services officer are patrol, public safety, and traffic control.
| Loss Prevention Agent | Community Services Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $36,455 | $38,039 |
| Hourly rate | $17.53 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 103,534 | 181,257 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 33 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A loss prevention agent is responsible for averting theft and securing a retail store or similar establishment. They are primarily in charge of monitoring surveillance cameras and roaming around the premises while dressed in civilian clothing, all to observe the surroundings and spot any suspicious behavior. Furthermore, a loss prevention agent must adhere to the policies and standards of the establishment, implement safety and security measures, and coordinate with the police should there be any person caught stealing.
Community service offers or CSO support in crime response, investigation, and prevention where police powers are not necessary. The community service officers assist the police officers in terms of upholding order and law in the community. They provide citizens with customer service, community outreach, and patrol. It is their job to implement city codes and other non-criminal police associated duties. They provide non-EMS in-home and on-site assistance to the citizens. Also, they respond to non-criminal complaints, building checks, and more.
Loss prevention agents and community services officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Loss Prevention Agent | Community Services Officer | |
| Average salary | $36,455 | $38,039 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $62,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Washington |
| Best paying company | Compliance | City of Los Angeles |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Education |
There are a few differences between a loss prevention agent and a community services officer in terms of educational background:
| Loss Prevention Agent | Community Services Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between loss prevention agents' and community services officers' demographics:
| Loss Prevention Agent | Community Services Officer | |
| Average age | 33 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2% | Male, 56.1% Female, 43.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 4.2% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 2.9% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |