Other Protective Service Workers

How to become a Transportation Security Screener

Official title: Transportation Security Screeners

Also called: Security Screener, Transportation Security Officer (TSO)

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.

Main 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.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $66,770 a year The middle half earn $57,050 to $72,820.
About 53,500 people work in this job now, and about 51,200 are projected by 2035. (-4.2%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How much does a Transportation Security Screener earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $66,770 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $57,050 to $72,820.

Is a Transportation Security Screener a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 4% by 2035, from about 53,500 to about 51,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Transportation Security Screener?

Not always. 32% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Transportation Security Screener?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.