Loss prevention officer vs law enforcement officer

The differences between loss prevention officers and law enforcement officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a law enforcement officer has an average salary of $39,219, 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 law enforcement officer are patrol, public safety, and emergency situations.

Loss prevention officer vs law enforcement officer overview

	Loss Prevention Officer	Law Enforcement Officer
Yearly salary	$33,768	$39,219
Hourly rate	$16.23	$18.86
Growth rate	6%	3%
Number of jobs	106,512	105,817
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
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 law enforcement officer do?

The duties of a law enforcement officer depend on their line of work or agency of employment. In general, they are responsible for enforcing laws and regulations, prioritizing the safety of citizens and the protection of the city. Typically, their responsibilities include patrolling their designated area, responding to distress, monitoring suspicious activities and characters, conducting investigations and inspections, and coordinating various services to assist citizens. Moreover, as a law enforcement officer, it is essential to serve as a role model for citizens and uphold the oath to serve and protect.

Loss prevention officer vs law enforcement officer salary

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

	Loss Prevention Officer	Law Enforcement Officer
Average salary	$33,768	$39,219
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $51,000	Between $30,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	Miami, FL	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Virginia	Washington
Best paying company	Southern Healthcare	University of Nebraska System
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Government

Differences between loss prevention officer and law enforcement officer education

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

	Loss Prevention Officer	Law Enforcement Officer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	Pennsylvania State University

Loss prevention officer vs law enforcement officer demographics

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

	Loss Prevention Officer	Law Enforcement Officer
Average age	33	40
Gender ratio	Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4%	Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7%
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, 13.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.1% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between loss prevention officer and law enforcement 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.

Law enforcement officer example responsibilities.

Attend NCO leadership school and receive training on how to properly, and effectively manage personnel.
Accomplish scheduled and random security checks of control and classify areas to ensure compliance with DOD resource protection guidelines.
Develop and manage firearms training programs, including weapons selection and qualification standards.
Operate QRV solo, backing up BLS ambulances.
Certify in defensive tactics, firearms, driver's training, professional first aid and CPR.
DOT and FMCSA regulation enforcement.

Loss prevention officer vs law enforcement 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 law enforcement officer skills

Patrol, 26%
Public Safety, 10%
Emergency Situations, 7%
Criminal Justice, 6%
CPR, 3%
Metal Detectors, 3%

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Loss Prevention Officer
Loss Prevention Officer vs Law Enforcement Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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