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Retail Loss Prevention Specialist

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Home › Protective Service › Retail Loss Prevention Specialist
Average base salary
$50,000 / year
≈ $4,150 per month · $24.04 per hour

25th percentile
$36,500Average
$50,00075th percentile
$57,000
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (occupation group), with detailed role definition from O*NET, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Retail Loss Prevention Specialist salary by state
Alabama$76,500
Alaska$57,000
Arizona$57,500
Arkansas$37,500
California$47,500
Colorado$51,000
Connecticut$51,000
Delaware$43,000
District of Columbia$92,000
Florida$50,500
Georgia$53,000
Hawaii$77,000
Idaho$53,500
Illinois$50,500
Indiana$49,000
Iowa$44,000
Kansas$44,500
Kentucky$49,000
Louisiana$48,000
Maine$53,000
Maryland$58,500
Massachusetts$55,500
Michigan$53,500
Minnesota$47,000
Mississippi$49,500
Missouri$53,000
Montana$50,000
Nebraska$58,500
Nevada$59,000
New Hampshire$87,000
New Jersey$59,000
New Mexico$77,000
New York$60,500
North Carolina$52,000
North Dakota$57,500
Ohio$50,500
Oklahoma$54,000
Oregon$55,000
Pennsylvania$39,000
Rhode Island$67,000
South Carolina$47,500
South Dakota$47,500
Tennessee$51,500
Texas$43,000
Utah$64,000
Vermont$60,000
Virginia$49,000
Washington$47,000
West Virginia$53,500
Wisconsin$59,000
Wyoming$48,000
About this role

Retail Loss Prevention Specialist is a professional role within the function in the Protective Service job family.

Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.

What Retail Loss Prevention Specialists do

Typical education: High School Diploma

  • 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.

Top skills: Critical Thinking Speaking Monitoring Active Listening Social Perceptiveness Judgment and Decision Making

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Retail Loss Prevention Specialist pay by experience level
Entry level$33,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$36,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$44,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$57,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$77,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+2.5%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
23,300
projected openings per year
Growing slower than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Retail Loss Prevention Specialist salary by industry
Educational Services

28,960 workers

$43,000

Elementary and Secondary Schools

27,510 workers

$42,500

Educational Services, Local Government Owned

26,430 workers

$42,500

Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS

22,090 workers

$59,000

Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)

13,890 workers

$58,000

Employment Services

4,920 workers

$39,500

State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)

4,680 workers

$60,500

Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)

3,510 workers

$62,000

Educational Services, Privately Owned

1,740 workers

$45,000

Management of Companies and Enterprises

1,410 workers

$65,000

National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares

Retail Loss Prevention Specialist pays 29% below the average across 28 roles in the Protective Service job family (family average $70,500).

Similar-paying roles in Protective Service
Protective Service Workers, All Other$50,000
Gambling Surveillance Officers and Gambling Investigators$47,000
Parking Enforcement Worker$53,000
Crossing Guards and Flaggers$45,000
Security Guard$44,000
First-Line Supervisors of Security Worker$62,000
Private Detectives and Investigators$62,500
School Bus Monitor$36,500
Bailiff$64,000
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers$35,500
Careers related to Retail Loss Prevention Specialist
Compliance Manager$159,500
Private Detectives and Investigators$62,500
Security Manager$121,000
Financial Risk Specialist$129,000
Financial Quantitative Analyst$97,000
First-Line Supervisors of Security Worker$62,000
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions

How much does a Retail Loss Prevention Specialist make?

The average base salary for a Retail Loss Prevention Specialist in the United States is $50,000 per year, or about $24.04 per hour.

What is the typical salary range?

Pay typically falls between $36,500 and $57,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.

How does this compare with other Protective Service roles?

The Protective Service job family averages $70,500 across 28 roles tracked by WePayFairly.

Need a defensible market price for this role?
WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.

Explore Market DataOur Methodology

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