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The differences between loss prevention specialists and detectives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a detective has an average salary of $57,984, 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 detective are physical evidence, patrol, and law enforcement agencies.
| Loss Prevention Specialist | Detective | |
| Yearly salary | $47,451 | $57,984 |
| Hourly rate | $22.81 | $27.88 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 59,094 | 56,521 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| 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 detective is responsible for conducting in-depth investigations for criminal activities, potential threats, and other law-violating incidents, coordinating closely with law-enforcement agencies and crime intelligence analysts. Detectives often work on the field, gathering data and related evidence to support claims and connect the timeline of events. They keep an organized record of their findings for further validation before reporting it to the authority. A detective must have excellent investigative and critical-thinking skills, especially on solving puzzles and security solutions.
Loss prevention specialists and detectives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Loss Prevention Specialist | Detective | |
| Average salary | $47,451 | $57,984 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $87,000 | Between $35,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | - |
| Best paying company | Booz Allen Hamilton | - |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | - |
There are a few differences between a loss prevention specialist and a detective in terms of educational background:
| Loss Prevention Specialist | Detective | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | University of Arizona |
Here are the differences between loss prevention specialists' and detectives' demographics:
| Loss Prevention Specialist | Detective | |
| Average age | 49 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0% | Male, 82.7% Female, 17.3% |
| 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, 16.7% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 9% |