Transportation Security Screeners Career, Salary and Skills
Transportation Security Screeners have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $66,770 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 50,290. Wage data is published for 188 locations.
Occupation description
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
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$66,770
Hourly median
$32.10
Employment
50,290
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Monitoring | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Speaking | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Active Listening | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Coordination | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Persuasion | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | 3.00 | 2.75 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Inspect carry-on items, using x-ray viewing equipment, to determine whether items contain objects that warrant further investigation.
Technology
- Applicant tracking software
- Email software
- Linux
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
- Oracle Java
- Oracle Taleo
- Rapiscan Threat Image Projection
- Slack
- Web browser software
Transportation Security Screeners salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Transportation Security Screeners Salary in FLMedian $63,130 · Employment 6,920
- Transportation Security Screeners Salary in CAMedian $73,610 · Employment 5,410
- Transportation Security Screeners Salary in New York, NYMedian $72,340 · Employment 4,610
- Transportation Security Screeners Salary in TXMedian $68,640 · Employment 4,300
- Transportation Security Screeners Salary in NYMedian $72,010 · Employment 4,240
- Transportation Security Screeners Salary in Miami, FLMedian $65,080 · Employment 3,250
- Transportation Security Screeners Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $73,610 · Employment 2,670
- Transportation Security Screeners Salary in ILMedian $70,570 · Employment 1,970
- Transportation Security Screeners Salary in VAMedian $69,910 · Employment 1,870
- Transportation Security Screeners Salary in GAMedian $66,770 · Employment 1,850
- Transportation Security Screeners Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $70,570 · Employment 1,780
- Transportation Security Screeners Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $68,640 · Employment 1,690
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.