Law & Government
Transportation Security Screeners
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.
Median salary
$63,360
Typical range
$45k – $76k
Job outlook
See national outlook
AI exposure
Plan a path to Transportation Security Screeners
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Transportation Security Screeners
Entry / Junior
$45,010
~2 yrs to advance
Transportation Security Screeners
Established
$63,360
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Transportation Security Screeners
Senior
$69,650
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Law & Government
Explore all- Yale University5% admit · $105,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- Stanford University4% admit · $122,000 grad pay
- Columbia University4% admit · $103,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.