Transportation Security Screeners Salary: $68,936 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 46,340 transportation security screeners nationally earn a mean of $68,936. Employment in the series shown fell about 20% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.4% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Transportation Security Screeners: what the data shows
Common questions about transportation security screeners careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a transportation security screeners?
Transportation Security Screeners is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 33-9093.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 46,340 workers.
What does a transportation security screeners do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a transportation security screeners make?
BLS national median annual wage: $63,360 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $68,936 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,213 |
| 25th percentile | $58,610 |
| Median (50th) | $71,702 |
| 75th percentile | $76,752 |
| 90th percentile | $81,863 |
What education do you need?
For Transportation Security Screeners, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Monitoring, Speaking, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Law and Government. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is transportation security screeners in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.4% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -2.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -4.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 46,340.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do transportation security screenerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 46,340 | 16.9% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 43,670 | 16.0% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 43,670 | 16.0% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 43,670 | 16.0% |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | 43,360 | 15.9% |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 43,360 | 15.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Transportation Security Screeners in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Security Guards | 1,241,770 | $38,370 |
| Information Security Analysts | 179,430 | $124,910 |
| Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | 81,510 | $59,300 |
| Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks | 229,070 | $48,450 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
| Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks | 127,440 | $41,460 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Transportation Security Screeners workforce.
Employment Over Time
46,340 Workforce in 2023
The Transportation Security Screeners workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Transportation Security Screeners.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$68,936 Average Wage
In 2023, Transportation Security Screeners earned an average of $68,936.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Transportation Security Screeners.
Salary distribution for Transportation Security Screeners.
Employment Growth Projections
-0.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
18,295 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -2.1%
17,919 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -4.1%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Transportation Security Screeners.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Transportation Security Screeners and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Transportation Security Screeners employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Transportation Security Screeners.
Wage Trends by Industry
16.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Transportation Security Screeners.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Transportation Security Screeners.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- FL: 5,890 employees, $58,240 avg wage
- CA: 5,060 employees, $67,030 avg wage
- TX: 4,180 employees, $63,230 avg wage
- NY: 3,220 employees, $64,070 avg wage
- IL: 1,850 employees, $65,120 avg wage
- GA: 1,740 employees, $59,220 avg wage
- VA: 1,700 employees, $61,850 avg wage
- AZ: 1,460 employees, $56,980 avg wage
- NJ: 1,440 employees, $65,220 avg wage
- PA: 1,420 employees, $58,990 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Transportation Security Screeners.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,780 employees, $66,560 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 2,560 employees, $68,030 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,650 employees, $60,730 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 1,640 employees, $65,320 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 1,490 employees, $59,570 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 1,270 employees, $62,500 avg wage
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL: 1,250 employees, $56,590 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 1,180 employees, $57,550 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 1,180 employees, $67,640 avg wage
- Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV: 1,130 employees, $59,040 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Transportation Security Screeners.
Diversity
Demographic information on Transportation Security Screeners in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Transportation Security Screeners in 2023 was 46,340 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Transportation Security Screeners.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Transportation Security Screeners.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Transportation Security Screeners.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Transportation Security Screeners in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Transportation Security Screeners.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Transportation Security Screeners workers.
Education level distribution for Transportation Security Screeners.
Skills
Transportation Security Screeners need many skills, but most especially Monitoring, Speaking, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness.
Required skills for Transportation Security Screeners.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Transportation Security Screeners.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Transportation Security Screeners include Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Law and Government, Education and Training.
Knowledge areas required for Transportation Security Screeners.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Transportation Security Screeners include Problem Sensitivity, Selective Attention, Inductive Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Transportation Security Screeners.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Transportation Security Screeners.
Daily Activities
Transportation Security Screeners spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Performing General Physical Activities.
Most important work activities for Transportation Security Screeners.
About
Transportation Security Screeners
The average yearly wage for Transportation Security Screeners was $68,936 in 2023.
SOC Code
33-9093 - Transportation Security Screeners
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Transportation Security Screeners reports an average salary of $68,936.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 46,340 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.