Loss prevention officer vs loss prevention associate

The differences between loss prevention officers and loss prevention associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a loss prevention associate has an average salary of $38,861, 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 loss prevention associate are customer service, patrol, and safety standards.

Loss prevention officer vs loss prevention associate overview

	Loss Prevention Officer	Loss Prevention Associate
Yearly salary	$33,768	$38,861
Hourly rate	$16.23	$18.68
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	106,512	82,313
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	33	33
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 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.

Loss prevention officer vs loss prevention associate salary

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

	Loss Prevention Officer	Loss Prevention Associate
Average salary	$33,768	$38,861
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $51,000	Between $21,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	Miami, FL	Salisbury, MD
Highest paying state	Virginia	Virginia
Best paying company	Southern Healthcare	AIG
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Utilities

Differences between loss prevention officer and loss prevention associate education

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

	Loss Prevention Officer	Loss Prevention Associate
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	California State University - Bakersfield

Loss prevention officer vs loss prevention associate demographics

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

	Loss Prevention Officer	Loss Prevention Associate
Average age	33	33
Gender ratio	Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4%	Male, 68.7% Female, 31.3%
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, 8.5% Unknown, 7.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 4.2% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between loss prevention officer and loss prevention associate 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.

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.

Loss prevention officer vs loss prevention associate skills

Common loss prevention officer skills

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

Common loss prevention associate skills

Customer Service, 16%
Patrol, 13%
Safety Standards, 10%
Loss Prevention, 10%
Safety Inspections, 8%
Cash Handling, 7%

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Protective Service Industry
Loss Prevention Officer
Loss Prevention Officer vs Loss Prevention Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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