Loss prevention officer vs detention officer

The differences between loss prevention officers and detention officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a detention officer has an average salary of $40,087, which is higher than the $33,768 average annual salary of a loss prevention officer.

The top three skills for a loss prevention officer include patrol, loss prevention and good judgment. The most important skills for a detention officer are detention facility, direct supervision, and booking.

Loss prevention officer vs detention officer overview

	Loss Prevention Officer	Detention Officer
Yearly salary	$33,768	$40,087
Hourly rate	$16.23	$19.27
Growth rate	6%	-10%
Number of jobs	106,512	116,529
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age	33	40
Years of experience	-	-

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.

What does a detention officer do?

The role of detention officers is to supervise inmates in state detention facilities. They are responsible for ensuring the safe imprisonment of detainees, managing conflict between detainees, and reporting inappropriate behavior to the warden. Other responsibilities include providing inmates the opportunity to call a lawyer or a relative, performing periodic patrol of the jail area, and supervising inmates during meals and related activities. They are also responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of personal and cell equipment and distributing medicines to inmates as directed.

Loss prevention officer vs detention officer salary

Loss prevention officers and detention officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Loss Prevention Officer	Detention Officer
Average salary	$33,768	$40,087
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $51,000	Between $29,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Miami, FL	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Virginia	Hawaii
Best paying company	Southern Healthcare	Bering Straits
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Insurance

Differences between loss prevention officer and detention officer education

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

	Loss Prevention Officer	Detention Officer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	-

Loss prevention officer vs detention officer demographics

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

	Loss Prevention Officer	Detention Officer
Average age	33	40
Gender ratio	Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4%	Male, 61.0% Female, 39.0%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 15.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	6%

Differences between loss prevention officer and detention officer duties and responsibilities

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.

Detention officer example responsibilities.

Train and manage officers of booking, procedures and computer knowledge skills and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
Manage booking area and process all non-English speaking detainees; streamline process and reduce confrontational situations through effective communication and leadership.
Maintain certification in CPR, gun qualification, and any specialize training offer.
Ensure that all require KYC documentation is on file before accounts are open.
Review and analyze KYC information on potential clients, brokerage counterparties, etc.
Perform CPR when necessary, and provide the transportation of inmates to the medical facility.

Loss prevention officer vs detention officer skills

Common loss prevention officer skills

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

Common detention officer skills

Detention Facility, 14%
Direct Supervision, 13%
Booking, 11%
Law Enforcement, 10%
CPR, 5%
Security Checks, 4%

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Loss Prevention Officer
Loss Prevention Officer vs Detention Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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