Occupations · Protective Service
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 33-9093.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 71% between 2010 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $70,430 | 3,780 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $69,720 | 2,560 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $65,120 | 1,650 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $66,930 | 1,640 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $63,360 | 1,490 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $68,390 | 1,270 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $59,950 | 1,250 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $63,690 | 1,180 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $62,630 | 1,180 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | $61,190 | 1,130 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $69,990 | 900 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $65,980 | 900 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- View images of checked bags and cargo, using remote screening equipment, and alert baggage screeners or handlers to any possible problems.
- 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.
- Locate suspicious bags pictured in printouts sent from remote monitoring areas, and set these bags aside for inspection.
- Follow those who breach security until police or other security personnel arrive to apprehend them.
- Inform other screeners when baggage should not be opened because it might contain explosives.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2009-06
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2009-06
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 8
No longer listed 2
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| airport security officer | 5414.1.1 | close |
| hand luggage inspector | 3351.2 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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