Protective Service Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 33-9093

Transportation Security Screeners

O*NET task statements lead this Transportation Security Screeners card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Detectives and Criminal Investigators, Bailiffs, First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers, Fish and Game Wardens.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Transportation Security Screeners: Detectives and Criminal Investigators ($94K) , Bailiffs ($57K) , First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($94K) , Fish and Game Wardens ($74K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Transportation Security Screeners publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 33-9093 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Inspect carry-on items, using x-ray viewing equipment, to determine whether items contain objects that warrant further investigation
  2. 2. Search carry-on or checked baggage by hand when it is suspected to contain prohibited items such as weapons
  3. 3. View images of checked bags and cargo, using remote screening equipment, and alert baggage screeners or handlers to any possible problems
  4. 4. Check passengers' tickets to ensure that they are valid, and to determine whether passengers have designations that require special handl…
  5. 5. Test baggage for any explosive materials, using equipment such as explosive detection machines or chemical swab systems
  6. 6. Perform pat-down or hand-held wand searches of passengers who have triggered machine alarms, who are unable to pass through metal detecto…
  7. 7. Notify supervisors or other appropriate personnel when security breaches occur
  8. 8. Send checked baggage through automated screening machines, and set bags aside for searching or rescreening as indicated by equipment
  9. 9. Decide whether baggage that triggers alarms should be searched or should be allowed to pass through
  10. 10. Locate suspicious bags pictured in printouts sent from remote monitoring areas, and set these bags aside for inspection
  11. 11. Follow those who breach security until police or other security personnel arrive to apprehend them
  12. 12. Inform other screeners when baggage should not be opened because it might contain explosives

Transportation Security Screeners: O*NET ranks Speaking first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 33-9093 - lead skill Speaking at 3.4 ; lead knowledge Public Safety and Security. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Speaking 3.4
  2. 2. Monitoring 3.4
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.3
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.3
  5. 5. Social Perceptiveness 3.3
  6. 6. Coordination 3.3
  7. 7. Judgment and Decision Making 3.1
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Public Safety and Security 3.8
  2. 2. Customer and Personal Service 3.6
  3. 3. English Language 3.6
  4. 4. Law and Government 2.7
  5. 5. Education and Training 2.7
  6. 6. Administration and Management 2.4
National median after O*NET task lead
$66,770
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Inspect carry-on items, using x-ray viewing equipment, to determine whether items contain objects that warrant further investigation
$67K
National median
↓ -6%
Growth 2024-2034
4,700
Annual openings
50,290
Estimated US jobs
Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Highest-pay peer · $94K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Transportation Security Screeners

1. Illinois $70,570
2. California $73,610
3. Colorado $71,530
4. New Jersey $74,400
5. Rhode Island $71,510
6. Alaska $71,390
7. Massachusetts $73,510
8. Maryland $72,240
9. New York $72,010
10. New Hampshire $76,130

Other Protective Service Occupations titles

  1. 1. Detectives and Criminal Investigators $93,790
  2. 2. First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers $93,530
  3. 3. Fish and Game Wardens $74,060
  4. 4. Bailiffs $56,600
  5. 5. First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers $77,970
  6. 6. First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other $76,400

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Transportation Security Screeners (SOC 33-9093). The national OEWS median is $66,770 inside Protective Service Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Detectives and Criminal Investigators, Bailiffs, First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers, Fish and Game Wardens. Lead published task: Inspect carry-on items, using x-ray viewing equipment, to determine whether items contain objects that warrant further investigation.

Employment Projections expect -6% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 4,700 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Illinois at $70,570. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Detectives and Criminal Investigators at $93,790. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Transportation Security Screeners pay-rank #10 in Protective Service Occupations

Transportation Security Screeners sits at pay-rank #10 of 24 detailed Protective Service Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 33-9093 · national median $66,770 · middle third of Protective Service Occupations (#10/24). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Transportation Security Screeners salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 33-9093

Illinois · top state for Transportation Security Screeners

$71K published median

California · #2 state pay

$74K · behind Illinois

Detectives and Criminal Investigators

Highest-pay peer vs Transportation Security Screeners · $94K

Bailiffs

Lower-pay peer beside Transportation Security Screeners · $57K

Compare Transportation Security Screeners

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Transportation Security Screeners with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Transportation Security Screeners full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Transportation Security Screeners mid-table among Protective Service Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #10 of 24 detailed Protective Service Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Fish and Game Wardens ($74K), Firefighters ($59K), Correctional Officers and Jailers ($59K), Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists ($57K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do transportation security screeners do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Transportation Security Screeners. Leading ones include: 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 handl…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for transportation security screeners? ▼
For SOC 33-9093, O*NET importance scores lead with Speaking (3.4), Monitoring (3.4), Active Listening (3.3), Critical Thinking (3.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Transportation Security Screeners? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $66,770 as the national median for Transportation Security Screeners. The published 10th-90th range is $44,700 to $78,350. Beside Detectives and Criminal Investigators ($93,790), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Transportation Security Screeners? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Transportation Security Screeners is -6%. Projected annual openings: about 4,700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Transportation Security Screeners? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Transportation Security Screeners. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Transportation Security Screeners? ▼
Illinois ($70,570), California ($73,610), Colorado ($71,530) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Transportation Security Screeners card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 33-9093. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Transportation Security Screeners. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics