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.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. CareerOneStop's licensing data records no state license for Transportation Security Screeners, which usually means it is not a licensed occupation. Requirements can still vary by employer and state.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 2 professional certifications to Transportation Security Screeners. 1 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Transportation Worker Identification Credential. Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round transportation security screeners ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $52,800 with a high school diploma or GED, $60,900 with some college or an associate's degree and $64,000 with a bachelor's degree (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of transportation security screeners work in Public Administration (81%), Transportation and Warehousing (14%) and Administrative, Support and Waste Management (4%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "Miscellaneous protective service workers", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 227.6 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 13 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Protective service", which includes this career, 31.3% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,728 for union members and $1,011 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to transportation security screeners.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Service", which includes this career, 52% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 51% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 70% had paid sick leave, 60% paid vacation and 59% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to transportation security screeners, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $27.17 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Service" in June 2026 ($19.59 in wages and salaries and $7.58 in benefits, 27.9% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for transportation security screeners are: dealing with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous people (96%), indoors, environmentally controlled (93%), wear common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets (93%), work with or contribute to a work group or team (92%), spend time standing (89%), physical proximity (85%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (74% of 27 respondents) was "none"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (48% of 27 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (41% of 27 respondents) was "anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to transportation security screeners in the work done and the skills used: Security Guards, Transit and Railroad Police, Flight Attendants, Baggage Porters and Bellhops, Airfield Operations Specialists, First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers, Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks, Customs and Border Protection Officers (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Pay by state. See what transportation security screeners earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Transportation Security Screeners salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Compare transportation security screeners with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →