Theft and fraud damage the productivity and financial returns for many businesses in the retail, wholesale, manufacturing, transportation, and industrial industries. Not all customers and employees are trustworthy. Retail loss prevention and loss control professionals provide the security that companies depend upon to minimize damage. Casinos require guards to protect their operations and retail stores depend on their loss control staff to prevent shoplifting.
How to Build Your Career in Loss Prevention
Many loss prevention professionals begin as entry-level security guards. You can build your credentials while you work by taking online loss prevention classes from colleges and trade schools. With experience, you may move into a leadership role with a security team or with a private security firm. At the top end of the scale, you can serve as a loss control and prevention consultant to businesses throughout the country or abroad.
Security and Loss Prevention Education Requirements
Loss prevention certificate and degree programs offer classes in criminal justice and police science as they apply to security, surveillance, sociology, psychology, and legal procedures. You can also choose among classes in corporate security, IT security, forensics, and transportation security. Master's degree programs in loss prevention and security cover advanced topics including emergency preparedness, homeland security, and risk management.
Loss Prevention Salaries and Job Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports 2008 median annual wages for security guards at $23,460, with a median annual salary of $28,850 for gaming security personnel. Managers and consultants earn more. The BLS predicts that jobs for security guards and gaming surveillance officers are likely to increase by 14 percent between 2008 and 2018.
