Careers / Transportation Security Screeners

Transportation Security Screeners — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$66,770

United States, 2025

Employment

50,290

United States, 2025

Typical education

High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Job Zone 2

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

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.

O*NET code
33-9093.00
Job zone
2
Experience required
None

Typical tasks

  • 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.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$44,700
10th
$57,050
25th
$66,770
Median
$72,820
75th
$78,350
90th

10th percentile

$44,700

25th percentile

$57,050

75th percentile

$72,820

90th percentile

$78,350

Most important skills

  • Speaking3.4
  • Monitoring3.4
  • Critical Thinking3.3
  • Coordination3.3
  • Social Perceptiveness3.3
  • Active Listening3.3
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.1
  • Service Orientation3.0
  • Persuasion3.0
  • Reading Comprehension3.0
  • Active Learning2.9
  • Writing2.9

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 10 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

10

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Critical Thinking3.33.5Not selected3.5
Active Listening3.33.5Not selected3.5
Coordination3.33.4Not selected3.4
Monitoring3.43.1Not selected3.1
Speaking3.43.0Not selected3.0
Social Perceptiveness3.33.0Not selected3.0
Persuasion3.03.0Not selected3.0
Reading Comprehension3.03.0Not selected3.0
Judgment and Decision Making3.12.9Not selected2.9
Service Orientation3.02.8Not selected2.8

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
Allentown, PA$79,210502025
San Francisco, CA$78,9403502025
San Jose, CA$78,9403202025
Salinas, CA$78,940402025
Manchester, NH$76,130802025
Boston, MA$76,1301,2502025
NH$76,130802025
Trenton, NJ$74,400502025
NJ$74,4001,2002025
Flint, MI$74,130502025
CA$73,6105,4102025
Los Angeles, CA$73,6102,6702025
Riverside, CA$73,6105002025
MA$73,5101,3802025
Kiryas Joel, NY$73,210502025
Kahului, HI$72,5101602025
New York, NY$72,3404,6102025
MD$72,2405702025
Baltimore, MD$72,2405502025
San Diego, CA$72,1306902025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Transportation Security Screeners to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.