Store detective vs detective

The differences between store detectives 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 $32,824 average annual salary of a store detective.

The top three skills for a store detective include store management, cash handling and CCTV. The most important skills for a detective are physical evidence, patrol, and law enforcement agencies.

Store detective vs detective overview

	Store Detective	Detective
Yearly salary	$32,824	$57,984
Hourly rate	$15.78	$27.88
Growth rate	6%	3%
Number of jobs	67,322	56,521
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	-

What does a store detective do?

Store detectives are security professionals who are hired by store or business owners to prevent the act of shoplifting. These detectives must conduct surveillance through CCTV to apprehend shoplifters and dishonest employees who committed theft within the store. They must work closely with local law enforcement and store management to prevent retail theft as well as report those offenders. Security detectives must also monitor employee and public activity by implementing a theft prevention system to protect company assets.

What does a detective do?

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.

Store detective vs detective salary

Store detectives and detectives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Store Detective	Detective
Average salary	$32,824	$57,984
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $41,000	Between $35,000 And $95,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between store detective and detective education

There are a few differences between a store detective and a detective in terms of educational background:

	Store Detective	Detective
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	University of Arizona

Store detective vs detective demographics

Here are the differences between store detectives' and detectives' demographics:

	Store Detective	Detective
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 73.9% Female, 26.1%	Male, 82.7% Female, 17.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 4.7% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	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	8%	9%

Differences between store detective and detective duties and responsibilities

Store detective example responsibilities.

Manage foreclosure and bankruptcy from inception to completion and mitigate all potential losses within an acceptable range.
Patrol and secure perimeter of the facility and grounds.
Keep vigilant patrol over the store's sales areas to ensure a safe shopping experience for customers.
Conduct daily surveillance using CCTV system and undercover observation.
Initiate and conduct investigations concerning illegal narcotics and firearms trafficking and perform official duty as an undercover operative during those investigations.
Conduct safety and EAS audits.

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Detective example responsibilities.

Manage all ABC issues and applications for liquor licenses.
Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Monitor wire taps and conduct detailed surveillance of wire tap targets and associates.
Sole provider of data gathering from TIGTA's complaint management system and the IRS for biweekly phishing scam reports.
Connect GPS devices/recorder/audio/video by hard wiring to vehicle power for longer operations.
Optimize critical security of dignitaries by proficiently conducting foot and vehicle patrol of concentration areas.

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Store detective vs detective skills

Common store detective skills

Store Management, 25%
Cash Handling, 21%
CCTV, 19%
Sales Floor, 8%
Law Enforcement Officials, 5%
Financial Crimes, 4%

Common detective skills

Physical Evidence, 15%
Patrol, 13%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 8%
Crime Scenes, 5%
Insurance Fraud, 5%
Public Safety, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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