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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 | Detective | |
| Yearly salary | $38,861 | $57,984 |
| Hourly rate | $18.68 | $27.88 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 82,313 | 56,521 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 33 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
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 associates and detectives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Loss Prevention Associate | Detective | |
| Average salary | $38,861 | $57,984 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $69,000 | Between $35,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Salisbury, MD | - |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | - |
| Best paying company | AIG | - |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | - |
There are a few differences between a loss prevention associate and a detective in terms of educational background:
| Loss Prevention Associate | Detective | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | University of Arizona |
Here are the differences between loss prevention associates' and detectives' demographics:
| Loss Prevention Associate | Detective | |
| Average age | 33 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.7% Female, 31.3% | Male, 82.7% Female, 17.3% |
| Race ratio | Black 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 Percentage | 7% | 9% |