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The differences between loss prevention officers and public safety officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a public safety officer has an average salary of $36,596, 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 public safety officer are patrol, patients, and public safety.
| Loss Prevention Officer | Public Safety Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $33,768 | $36,596 |
| Hourly rate | $16.23 | $17.59 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 106,512 | 122,048 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 31% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 33 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
Public relations assistants are professionals who are responsible for creating and distributing promotional materials to help clients increase their public image and awareness of their products and services. These assistants are required to help develop and distribute public relations materials such as brochures, pamphlets, newsletters, and sell sheets. They must handle all the communications of their clients to the public by supervising social media content, press releases, and emails. Public relations assistants must also gather materials to be used in trade shows or client presentations.
Loss prevention officers and public safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Loss Prevention Officer | Public Safety Officer | |
| Average salary | $33,768 | $36,596 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $51,000 | Between $29,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Miami, FL | New Britain, CT |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Southern Healthcare | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a loss prevention officer and a public safety officer in terms of educational background:
| Loss Prevention Officer | Public Safety Officer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 31% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between loss prevention officers' and public safety officers' demographics:
| Loss Prevention Officer | Public Safety Officer | |
| Average age | 33 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4% | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% |
| 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, 11.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 3.4% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |