Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between loss prevention specialists and criminal investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a criminal investigator has an average salary of $54,520, which is higher than the $47,451 average annual salary of a loss prevention specialist.
The top three skills for a loss prevention specialist include customer service, safety program and store management. The most important skills for a criminal investigator are investigative reports, resourcefulness, and firearms.
| Loss Prevention Specialist | Criminal Investigator | |
| Yearly salary | $47,451 | $54,520 |
| Hourly rate | $22.81 | $26.21 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 59,094 | 5,131 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 49 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A loss prevention specialist is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the store premises from shoplifters and even from employees' suspicious activities. Loss prevention specialists manage the installation of surveillance devices, monitor the daily store operations, and track business and financial transactions from the database. They also coordinate with law enforcement personnel for investigation on theft cases and other related retail complications. A loss prevention specialist must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills, especially on preparing incident reports and apprehending violators.
A criminal investigator is a law enforcement professional who endeavors to solve felony crimes. Criminal investigators may work alone or as a member of an investigative team whose goal is to uncover the certainty of a case and potentially keep suspects to prevent the ensuing criminal activity. Their tasks and responsibilities depend on various job functions and specialties. They may specialize in the information and evidence of a crime scene, conduct interviews and searches, or perform surveillance.
Loss prevention specialists and criminal investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Loss Prevention Specialist | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average salary | $47,451 | $54,520 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $87,000 | Between $34,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Booz Allen Hamilton | National Railroad Passenger Corporation |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Government |
There are a few differences between a loss prevention specialist and a criminal investigator in terms of educational background:
| Loss Prevention Specialist | Criminal Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | - |
Here are the differences between loss prevention specialists' and criminal investigators' demographics:
| Loss Prevention Specialist | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average age | 49 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0% | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 1.2% White, 71.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 9% |