Transportation Security Screeners Salary
Protective Service Occupations · 50K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$66,770
Median hourly
$32
Average annual
$64,310
Typical range
$44,700–$78,350
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Transportation Security Screeners is $66,770 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $32 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $44,700 and $78,350 a year. There are roughly 50K people employed as transportation security screeners in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Transportation Security Screeners.
- Hourly
- $32.10
- Daily
- $257
- Weekly
- $1,284
- Bi-weekly
- $2,568
- Monthly
- $5,564
- Annual
- $66,770
$66,770 a year is around the 50th percentile for Transportation Security Screenerss. The median is $66,770.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1New Hampshire$76,130
- 2New Jersey$74,400
- 3California$73,610
- 4Massachusetts$73,510
- 5Maryland$72,240
- 6New York$72,010
- 7Colorado$71,530
- 8Rhode Island$71,510
- 9Alaska$71,390
- 10Illinois$70,570
- 11Hawaii$70,160
- 12Virginia$69,910
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ$79,210
- 2Salinas, CA$78,940
- 3San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$78,940
- 4San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$78,940
- 5Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$76,130
- 6Manchester-Nashua, NH$76,130
- 7Trenton-Princeton, NJ$74,400
- 8Flint, MI$74,130
- 9Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$73,610
- 10Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$73,610
- 11Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$73,210
- 12Kahului-Wailuku, HI$72,510
Related job titles
Employers advertise Transportation Security Screeners roles under these titles.
- Airline Security Representative
- Airport Baggage Screener
- Airport Screener
- Airport Security Screener
- Biometric Screener
- Flight Security Specialist
- Notification Specialist
- Passenger Screener
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Screener
- Transportation Security Officer (TSO)
- Transportation Security Screener
Related occupations
- Security Guards$38,020
- Transit and Railroad Police$90,230
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers$55,940
- Flight Attendants$63,580
- Baggage Porters and Bellhops$37,080
- Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks$44,390
- Airfield Operations Specialists$56,850
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,210
What a Transportation Security Screeners does
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Transportation Security Screeners make?
- The median annual wage for Transportation Security Screeners is $66,770 ($32 per hour). Pay ranges from about $44,700 at the 10th percentile to $78,350 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Transportation Security Screeners?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $64,310, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Transportation Security Screenerss the most?
- New Hampshire has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $76,130.
- Is Transportation Security Screeners a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 50K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Transportation Security Screeners do?
- 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..