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The national median salary for Transportation Security Screeners is $66,768 per year ($32.10/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $57,054 and $72,821 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $78,354 per year. There are approximately 50,290 transportation security screeners employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-6.0%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
5K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
50K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
45K
$67,200
Support Activities for Air Transportation
NAICS 488100
3K
$42,910
Wage range across top 5 industries: $42,910 to $67,200 (57% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$21.49
$44,699
P25
$27.43
$57,054
P50MEDIAN
$32.10
$66,768
P75
$35.01
$72,821
P90
$37.67
$78,354
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average transportation security screeners salary?
The national median salary for Transportation Security Screeners is $66,768 per year ($32.10/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $57,054 and $72,821 annually.
How much do top-earning transportation security screeners make?
The 90th percentile salary for Transportation Security Screeners is $78,354 per year ($37.67/hr). The 75th percentile is $72,821 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for transportation security screeners?
Entry-level Transportation Security Screeners (10th percentile) earn approximately $44,699 per year ($21.49/hr). The 25th percentile is $57,054 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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