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The differences between loss prevention agents and public safety officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a public safety officer has an average salary of $36,596, 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 public safety officer are patrol, patients, and public safety.
| Loss Prevention Agent | Public Safety Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $36,455 | $36,596 |
| Hourly rate | $17.53 | $17.59 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 103,534 | 122,048 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| 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.
Public relations assistants are professionals who are responsible for creating and distributing promotional materials to help clients increase their public image and awareness of their products and services. These assistants are required to help develop and distribute public relations materials such as brochures, pamphlets, newsletters, and sell sheets. They must handle all the communications of their clients to the public by supervising social media content, press releases, and emails. Public relations assistants must also gather materials to be used in trade shows or client presentations.
Loss prevention agents and public safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Loss Prevention Agent | Public Safety Officer | |
| Average salary | $36,455 | $36,596 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $62,000 | Between $29,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | New Britain, CT |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Compliance | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a loss prevention agent and a public safety officer in terms of educational background:
| Loss Prevention Agent | Public Safety Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between loss prevention agents' and public safety officers' demographics:
| Loss Prevention Agent | Public Safety Officer | |
| Average age | 33 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2% | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% |
| 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, 11.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 3.4% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |