Protective Service · Holland code CER
Retail Loss Prevention Specialists
Implement procedures and systems to prevent merchandise loss. Conduct audits and investigations of employee activity. May assist in developing policies, procedures, and systems for safeguarding assets.
Also called: Loss Prevention Agent, Loss Prevention Associate (LPA), Loss Prevention Detective, Loss Prevention Officer, Asset Protection Associate (APA), Loss Prevention Investigator, Loss Prevention Specialist, Retail Asset Protection Specialist.
O*NET 33-9099.02
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $42,540
- Middle half earn $35,420 to $54,910. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 69% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Investigate known or suspected internal theft, external theft, or vendor fraud.
- Implement or monitor processes to reduce property or financial losses.
- Identify and report merchandise or stock shortages.
- Maintain documentation or reports on security-related incidents or investigations.
- Apprehend shoplifters in accordance with guidelines.
- Verify proper functioning of physical security systems, such as closed-circuit televisions, alarms, sensor tag systems, or locks.
- Identify and report safety concerns to maintain a safe shopping and working environment.
- Conduct store audits to identify problem areas or procedural deficiencies.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Critical Thinking3.8 / 5
- Active Listening3.5 / 5
- Speaking3.5 / 5
- Monitoring3.5 / 5
- Reading Comprehension3.3 / 5
- Active Learning3.3 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Public Safety and Security4.7 / 5
- English Language4.1 / 5
- Law and Government4.0 / 5
- Customer and Personal Service3.7 / 5
- Education and Training3.7 / 5
- Administration and Management3.5 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic48
- Investigative41
- Artistic0
- Social28
- Enterprising63
- Conventional78
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- security manager · DE Sicherheitsbeauftragte/Sicherheitsbeauftragter · FR responsable de sécurité
- financial fraud examiner · DE Prüfer im Bereich Finanzbetrug/Prüferin im Bereich Finanzbetrug · FR commissaire aux comptes
- private detective · DE Privatdetektiv/Privatdetektivin · FR détective privé/détective privée
- store detective · DE Kaufhausdetektiv/Kaufhausdetektivin · FR agent de sécurité magasin/agente de sécurité magasin
- security guard · DE Fachkraft Schutz- und Sicherheit · FR agent de sécurité/agente de sécurité
- bodyguard · DE Personenschützer/Personenschützerin · FR garde du corps
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Chartered and certified accountants (2421)233,600 employed
- Legal associate professionals (3520)57,300 employed
- Security guards and related occupations (9231)158,600 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Service and sales workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €32,957 |
| Sweden | €32,596 |
| Netherlands | €29,198 |
| Austria | €29,068 |
| Germany | €27,471 |
| Ireland | €26,978 |
| Italy | €24,995 |
| France | €24,971 |
| Spain | €18,303 |
| Portugal | €10,656 |
| Poland | €7,579 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.08. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (33-9099).
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