Loss prevention officer vs police cadet

The differences between loss prevention officers and police cadets can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a loss prevention officer has an average salary of $33,768, which is higher than the $33,243 average annual salary of a police cadet.

The top three skills for a loss prevention officer include patrol, loss prevention and good judgment. The most important skills for a police cadet are patrol, traffic control, and public safety.

Loss prevention officer vs police cadet overview

	Loss Prevention Officer	Police Cadet
Yearly salary	$33,768	$33,243
Hourly rate	$16.23	$15.98
Growth rate	6%	3%
Number of jobs	106,512	94,220
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
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 police cadet do?

Police cadets require multiple police department-relevant skills in traffic control, police reports, public safety, and special events. Those who choose this career will be responsible for participating in training programs that will introduce them to the fundamentals of law enforcement and prepare them for becoming police officers, supporting police operations like traffic control, working on criminal investigation, and performing administrative duties at the station.

Loss prevention officer vs police cadet salary

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

	Loss Prevention Officer	Police Cadet
Average salary	$33,768	$33,243
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $51,000	Between $23,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	Miami, FL	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	Virginia	Alaska
Best paying company	Southern Healthcare	Meridian Township
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Government

Differences between loss prevention officer and police cadet education

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

	Loss Prevention Officer	Police Cadet
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Loss prevention officer vs police cadet demographics

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

	Loss Prevention Officer	Police Cadet
Average age	33	40
Gender ratio	Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4%	Male, 63.4% Female, 36.6%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between loss prevention officer and police cadet 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.

Show more

Police cadet example responsibilities.

Process requests for background record checks for a variety of agencies using RMS.
Prepare teletype requests to run serialize firearms; input data from all seize firearms into CLETS.
Perform clerical tasks, filing, data entry, payroll and information research/investigation with NCIC 2000 and SCIC.
Automate tow notification process within RMS system.
Perform preventative maintenance inspections, routinely servicing minor repairs on equipment and patrol vehicles.
General law enforcement responsibilities including dispatch, jail, patrol, investigations, undercover vice/narcotics and supervision.

Show more

Loss prevention officer vs police cadet skills

Common loss prevention officer skills

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

Common police cadet skills

Patrol, 18%
Traffic Control, 10%
Public Safety, 8%
Police Academy, 7%
Parking Enforcement, 5%
Criminal Justice, 4%

Loss Prevention Officer vs. similar jobs

Loss Prevention Officer related careers

Loss Prevention Officer related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse protective service jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z