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Loss prevention associate vs detective

The differences between loss prevention associates and detectives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a detective has an average salary of $57,984, which is higher than the $38,861 average annual salary of a loss prevention associate.

The top three skills for a loss prevention associate include customer service, patrol and safety standards. The most important skills for a detective are physical evidence, patrol, and law enforcement agencies.

Loss prevention associate vs detective overview

Loss Prevention AssociateDetective
Yearly salary$38,861$57,984
Hourly rate$18.68$27.88
Growth rate6%3%
Number of jobs82,31356,521
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 36%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age3344
Years of experience--

What does a loss prevention associate do?

A loss prevention associate is responsible for monitoring the organization's daily operations, maintaining the safety and security of all network systems to avoid data theft. Loss prevention associates take immediate actions on all related suspicious activities that would compromise the company's reputation and financial status. They regularly check surveillance technologies to maintain asset protection and operational stability at all times. A loss prevention associate should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, especially on writing incident reports and escalating unusual activities to the management for immediate resolution.

What does a detective do?

A detective is responsible for conducting in-depth investigations for criminal activities, potential threats, and other law-violating incidents, coordinating closely with law-enforcement agencies and crime intelligence analysts. Detectives often work on the field, gathering data and related evidence to support claims and connect the timeline of events. They keep an organized record of their findings for further validation before reporting it to the authority. A detective must have excellent investigative and critical-thinking skills, especially on solving puzzles and security solutions.

Loss prevention associate vs detective salary

Loss prevention associates and detectives have different pay scales, as shown below.

Loss Prevention AssociateDetective
Average salary$38,861$57,984
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $69,000Between $35,000 And $95,000
Highest paying CitySalisbury, MD-
Highest paying stateVirginia-
Best paying companyAIG-
Best paying industryUtilities-

Differences between loss prevention associate and detective education

There are a few differences between a loss prevention associate and a detective in terms of educational background:

Loss Prevention AssociateDetective
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 36%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - BakersfieldUniversity of Arizona

Loss prevention associate vs detective demographics

Here are the differences between loss prevention associates' and detectives' demographics:

Loss Prevention AssociateDetective
Average age3344
Gender ratioMale, 68.7% Female, 31.3%Male, 82.7% Female, 17.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 7.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 4.2% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage7%9%

Differences between loss prevention associate and detective duties and responsibilities

Loss prevention associate example responsibilities.

  • Manage foreclosure and bankruptcy from inception to completion and mitigate all potential losses within an acceptable range.
  • Greet customers, operate CCTV security monitors and prevent shrinkage of merchandise.
  • Job duties include the personal detainment and apprehension of retail shoplifters utilizing plain view self-observation and/or CCTV cameras.
  • Analyze bankruptcy and foreclosure files in order to devise a strategy to minimize loss and maximize financial recovery.
  • Protect company's assets by utilizing state-of-the-art detection and investigation surveillance system, which identify shoplifters and prevent loss of merchandise.

Detective example responsibilities.

  • Manage all ABC issues and applications for liquor licenses.
  • Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
  • Monitor wire taps and conduct detailed surveillance of wire tap targets and associates.
  • Sole provider of data gathering from TIGTA's complaint management system and the IRS for biweekly phishing scam reports.
  • Connect GPS devices/recorder/audio/video by hard wiring to vehicle power for longer operations.
  • Optimize critical security of dignitaries by proficiently conducting foot and vehicle patrol of concentration areas.
  • Show more

Loss prevention associate vs detective skills

Common loss prevention associate skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • Patrol, 13%
  • Safety Standards, 10%
  • Loss Prevention, 10%
  • Safety Inspections, 8%
  • Cash Handling, 7%
Common detective skills
  • Physical Evidence, 15%
  • Patrol, 13%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 8%
  • Crime Scenes, 5%
  • Insurance Fraud, 5%
  • Public Safety, 5%

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