Find Trade Colleges
Transportation Security Screeners: Career Profile
Conduct screening of passengers, baggage, or cargo to ensure compliance with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regulations. May operate basic security equipment such as x-ray machines and hand wands at screening checkpoints.
What Tasks Do Transportation Security Screeners Perform?
The core tasks performed by transportation security screeners include:
- Inspect carry-on items, using x-ray viewing equipment, to determine whether items contain objects that warrant further investigation.
- Search carry-on or checked baggage by hand when it is suspected to contain prohibited items such as weapons.
- Check passengers' tickets to ensure that they are valid, and to determine whether passengers have designations that require special handling, such as providing photo identification.
- Test baggage for any explosive materials, using equipment such as explosive detection machines or chemical swab systems.
- Perform pat-down or hand-held wand searches of passengers who have triggered machine alarms, who are unable to pass through metal detectors, or who have been randomly identified for such searches.
- Notify supervisors or other appropriate personnel when security breaches occur.
- Send checked baggage through automated screening machines, and set bags aside for searching or rescreening as indicated by equipment.
- Decide whether baggage that triggers alarms should be searched or should be allowed to pass through.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective transportation security screeners draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Airline Security Representative
- Airport Baggage Screener
- Airport Screener
- Airport Security Screener
- Bag Checker
- Baggage Inspector
- Baggage Screener
- Baggage Security Checker
Employment and Demand
There are about 403,967 transportation security screeners working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -2.4% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Transportation Security Screeners
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $46,387 |
| Hourly median | $22.30 |
| 10th percentile | $28,307 |
| 25th percentile | $37,347 |
| 75th percentile | $55,427 |
| 90th percentile | $64,466 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $72,240 |
| New Jersey | $70,430 |
| New York | $70,430 |
| California | $69,720 |
| Maryland | $68,390 |
| Alaska | $67,720 |
| Rhode Island | $67,720 |
| Illinois | $66,930 |
| Hawaii | $66,680 |
| Michigan | $66,120 |
| Washington | $65,960 |
| Minnesota | $65,250 |
| Texas | $65,120 |
| Virginia | $64,850 |
| Massachusetts | $63,690 |
| Georgia | $63,360 |
| Ohio | $62,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,980 |
| Virgin Islands | $61,960 |
| North Carolina | $61,960 |
| Colorado | $61,440 |
| Missouri | $61,400 |
| Nevada | $61,190 |
| Arizona | $61,030 |
| New Mexico | $60,590 |
| Alabama | $60,510 |
| Oregon | $59,950 |
| Indiana | $59,950 |
| Wisconsin | $59,950 |
| Maine | $59,950 |
| Guam | $59,950 |
| Puerto Rico | $59,950 |
| Idaho | $59,950 |
| Utah | $59,950 |
| Arkansas | $59,950 |
| Florida | $59,950 |
| Kentucky | $59,950 |
| Louisiana | $59,950 |
| Mississippi | $59,950 |
| South Carolina | $59,950 |
| Tennessee | $59,950 |
| West Virginia | $59,950 |
| Oklahoma | $59,950 |
| Iowa | $59,950 |
| Kansas | $59,950 |
| Nebraska | $59,950 |
| North Dakota | $59,950 |
| Vermont | $54,910 |
| Montana | $49,000 |
| South Dakota | $49,000 |
Where Transportation Security Screeners Earn the Most
Compensation for transportation security screeners shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $68,449 | 14.3% | 1.02 |
| Far Western US | $67,101 | 20.2% | 1.82 |
| Great Lakes | $64,631 | 9.3% | 0.75 |
| New England | $63,877 | 3.8% | 1.09 |
| Southwest | $63,777 | 12.9% | 1.10 |
| Plains States | $61,775 | 4.2% | 0.67 |
| Southeast | $61,209 | 28.5% | 1.43 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $60,163 | 2.0% | 6.40 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | CA | $74,630 | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $74,630 | 320 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $74,630 | 300 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $73,860 | 880 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | PA | $72,780 | 60 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | NH | $72,240 | 90 |
| Flint, MI | MI | $70,530 | 50 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $70,430 | 3,780 |
Top Industries Employing Transportation Security Screeners
The largest employers of transportation security screeners work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 2,140 | $42,560 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 190 | $36,930 |
Below are examples of industries where transportation security screeners work:
Tools and Technology
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java (hot technology)
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Slack (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for transportation security screeners is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Contact With Others
How to Become Transportation Security Screeners
Typical transportation security screeners positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Security Managers (Supplemental)
- Compliance Officers (Primary-Long)
- Security Management Specialists (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers (Primary-Long)
- Parking Enforcement Workers (Supplemental)
- Customs and Border Protection Officers (Primary-Long)
- Transit and Railroad Police (Primary-Short)
- Security Guards (Primary-Short)
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 33-9093.00 (Transportation Security Screeners).
TradeCollege.org provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. TradeCollege.org is a for-profit site, and the displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© TradeCollege.org – All Rights Reserved.