Senior investigator vs loss prevention associate

The differences between senior investigators and loss prevention associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior investigator has an average salary of $61,240, which is higher than the $38,861 average annual salary of a loss prevention associate.

The top three skills for a senior investigator include senior level management, local law enforcement and claims handling. The most important skills for a loss prevention associate are customer service, patrol, and safety standards.

Senior investigator vs loss prevention associate overview

	Senior Investigator	Loss Prevention Associate
Yearly salary	$61,240	$38,861
Hourly rate	$29.44	$18.68
Growth rate	3%	6%
Number of jobs	4,525	82,313
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	44	33
Years of experience	2	-

What does a senior investigator do?

As a senior investigator, you will be responsible for managing investigations for crimes, including corruption, organized crime, and fraud. You will work closely with the district attorney and law enforcement to investigate and solve these crimes. This role will require you to perform other additional duties, including collecting DNA samples from the crime scene, suspects and victims, organizing live training on risk, compliance, and ethics, and testifying in criminal and civil courts, civil service hearings, and ethics commission.

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.

Senior investigator vs loss prevention associate salary

Senior investigators and loss prevention associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Investigator	Loss Prevention Associate
Average salary	$61,240	$38,861
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $105,000	Between $21,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	Frederick, MD	Salisbury, MD
Highest paying state	Maryland	Virginia
Best paying company	DLA Piper	AIG
Best paying industry	Finance	Utilities

Differences between senior investigator and loss prevention associate education

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

	Senior Investigator	Loss Prevention Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	California State University - Bakersfield

Senior investigator vs loss prevention associate demographics

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

	Senior Investigator	Loss Prevention Associate
Average age	44	33
Gender ratio	Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6%	Male, 68.7% Female, 31.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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	9%	7%

Differences between senior investigator and loss prevention associate duties and responsibilities

Senior investigator example responsibilities.

Investigate allegations of suspect FWA / prioritize and manage case load / maintain comprehensive case files.
Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Create budget friendly evidence collection boxes for investigations and patrol officers.
Send specimens to laboratory to obtain DNA.
Participate on committees and teams supporting GMP compliance programs.
Collect possible DNA samples from the scene, victims, and suspects.

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.

Senior investigator vs loss prevention associate skills

Common senior investigator skills

Senior Level Management, 13%
Local Law Enforcement, 9%
Claims Handling, 8%
Court Proceedings, 8%
Data Analysis, 4%
Management System, 3%

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
Senior Investigator
Senior Investigator vs Loss Prevention Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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