Protective Service

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.

MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES

A wage reference for United States.

Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.

Source wage group: Protective Service Workers, All Other

This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Retail Loss Prevention Specialists. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.

May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.

Median annual wage$42,540USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$20.45USD per hour · Published 50th percentile

Annual wage thresholds

USD per year

Hourly wage thresholds

USD per hour

Published occupational wage percentiles · United States · May 2025
PercentileAnnual wage (USD/year)Hourly wage (USD/hour)
10th$32,470$15.61
25th$35,420$17.03
50th · Median$42,540$20.45
75th$54,910$26.40
90th$74,590$35.86

“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.

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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE

What this career involves.

Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.

Selected title examples

Asset Protection AgentAsset Protection Associate (APA)Asset Protection CoordinatorAsset Protection DetectiveAsset Protection GreeterAsset Protection InvestigatorAsset Protection ManagerAsset Protection OfficerAsset Protection Security GuardAsset Protection Service AssociateAsset Protection SpecialistLoss Control Field Representative (Loss Control Field Rep)
Expand more title examples (22)
Loss Mitigation SpecialistLoss Prevention AgentLoss Prevention Associate (LPA)Loss Prevention Customer Service AssociateLoss Prevention DetectiveLoss Prevention GuardLoss Prevention InvestigatorLoss Prevention OfficerLoss Prevention RepresentativeLoss Prevention Security AmbassadorLoss Prevention Service AmbassadorLoss Prevention Service RepresentativeLoss Prevention SpecialistPrevention SpecialistProtection SpecialistRetail Asset Protection SpecialistRetail Loss Prevention InvestigatorRetail Loss Prevention SpecialistSecurity AmbassadorSecurity SpecialistStore DetectiveStore Protection Specialist

Typical tasks

  • 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.
Expand more tasks (15)
  • Identify and report safety concerns to maintain a safe shopping and working environment.
  • Conduct store audits to identify problem areas or procedural deficiencies.
  • Monitor compliance with standard operating procedures for loss prevention, physical security, or risk management.
  • Inspect buildings, equipment, or access points to determine security risks.
  • Perform covert surveillance of areas susceptible to loss, such loading docks, distribution centers, or warehouses.
  • Prepare written reports on investigations.
  • Collaborate with law enforcement agencies to report or investigate crimes.
  • Testify in civil or criminal court proceedings.
  • Recommend methods to reduce potential financial fraud losses.
  • Train establishment personnel in loss prevention activities.
  • Coordinate with risk management, human resources, or other departments to assist in company programs, investigations, or training.
  • Respond to critical incidents, such as catastrophic events, violent weather, or civil disorders.
  • Recommend new or improved processes or equipment to reduce risk exposure.
  • Direct work of contract security officers or other loss prevention agents.
  • Conduct employee background investigations and review reports with operational or human resources managers.

Skills used in this work

Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Expand more skills (29)
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Management of Financial Resources
Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
Management of Material Resources
Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Programming
Writing computer programs for various purposes.
Technology Design
Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
Operations Analysis
Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Equipment Selection
Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Installation
Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
Repairing
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
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Sources and citation.

Cite this page: Wages.fyi, “Retail Loss Prevention Specialists career and wage guide.” Link to this Wages.fyi page

This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wages.fyi has selected and organized this information and added wage navigation and explanations. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Database license and attribution requirements.

Official occupation profile · Official wage reference . Wage reference: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service. Source data and publication dates can differ from the date this page is accessed.