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Transportation security officer: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$66,770median pay per year, or $32.10 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $44,700lowest 10% earn less
  2. $57,05025th percentile
  3. $66,770median
  4. $72,82075th percentile
  5. $78,350top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Transportation security officer is a job title in the BLS category Transportation Security Screeners, which had a median pay of $66,770 a year in May 2025[1]. Employment is projected to fall 4.2% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
-4.2%[2]
Openings per year
4,500[5]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[6]

How much do transportation security officers make?

The median wage for Transportation Security Screeners was $66,770 a year, or $32.10 an hour, in May 2025[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The average was $64,310 a year, or $30.92 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations was $50,980[4].

The range is fairly narrow. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $44,700 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $78,350[3]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentiles, not a starting salary[8].

Percentile Annual wage Hourly wage
10th[3][9] $44,700 $21.49
25th[3][9] $57,050 $27.43
Median[1] $66,770 $32.10
75th[3][9] $72,820 $35.01
90th[3][9] $78,350 $37.67

These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed and do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits[10].

Pay by state and city

New Hampshire had the highest median at $76,130, based on 80 jobs[11]. New Jersey followed at $74,400, then California at $73,610, Massachusetts at $73,510 and Maryland at $72,240[11]. BLS published state data for 45 states[11].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara tied for the highest median at $78,940[12]. Boston-Cambridge-Newton came next at $76,130[12].

Florida had the most jobs at 6,920, followed by California at 5,410 and Texas at 4,300[13]. New York-Newark-Jersey City led the metro areas with 4,610 jobs, ahead of Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach with 3,250 and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim with 2,670[14].

Show median pay in 45 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
New Hampshire[11]$76,13080
New Jersey$74,4001,200
California$73,6105,410
Massachusetts$73,5101,380
Maryland$72,240570
New York$72,0104,240
Colorado$71,5301,250
Rhode Island$71,510160
Alaska$71,390440
Illinois$70,5701,970
Hawaii$70,1601,010
Virginia$69,9101,870
Texas$68,6404,300
Michigan$67,3901,070
Pennsylvania$67,3301,460
Minnesota$67,290740
Georgia$66,7701,850
Ohio$65,870690
Vermont$65,46080
North Carolina$64,5401,300
Nevada$64,5001,350
Arizona$64,3301,380
New Mexico$63,810200
Alabama$63,770260
Florida$63,1306,920
Idaho$63,130250
Kansas$63,130120
Kentucky$63,130510
Louisiana$63,130460
Maine$63,130160
Mississippi$63,130170
South Carolina$63,130480
West Virginia$63,13090
Wisconsin$63,130540
Nebraska$61,710290
Indiana$61,670460
Iowa$61,590220
Arkansas$61,110190
Tennessee$61,110840
Utah$61,110510
Wyoming$61,11090
South Dakota$55,53060
North Dakota$54,950170
Montana$54,770330
Missouri$51,210930

How to become a transportation security officer

BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education for entry. It lists no related work experience and short-term on-the-job training[6].

In an ONET survey of 27 workers, 85% said a high school diploma or the equivalent was the level required, and 11% said some college courses[15]. ONET places the job in a group where some jobs need little or no previous experience and others need several months to a year[16].

What transportation security officers do

O*NET describes the job as screening passengers, baggage or cargo to follow Transportation Security Administration rules, sometimes with x-ray machines and hand wands[17]. Common tasks include:

Workers report job titles such as Security Screener and Transportation Security Officer[19].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of Transportation Security Screeners to fall 4.2% from 2025 to 2035, from about 53,500 to 51,200 jobs[2]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same period[20]. These counts include self-employed workers[2], so they differ from the 50,290 wage and salary jobs counted in May 2025[21].

About 4,500 openings a year are projected on average[5]. Openings count jobs freed when people retire or switch occupations as well as newly created jobs[5]. Each year, 4.1% of workers leave the labor force and 5% move to a different occupation[22].

Is it a good fit?

Median pay is above the all-occupation median, and the typical entry needs a high school diploma or equivalent with short-term on-the-job training[1][4][6]. Pay is fairly close across the range, from $44,700 at the 10th percentile to $78,350 at the 90th[3]. The main caution is the outlook. Employment is projected to decline, though about 4,500 openings a year are still expected[2][5]. The work is hands-on screening of people and bags, including searches[18].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[23].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a transportation security officer make an hour?
The median was $32.10 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $30.92[1][7].
What education do you need to be a transportation security officer?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education[6].
Is transportation security screening in demand?
BLS projects a 4.2% decline from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% growth for all occupations[2][20]. About 4,500 openings a year are still expected[5].
What is the highest paying state for transportation security officers?
New Hampshire had the highest median at $76,130, based on 80 jobs[11]. New Jersey was next at $74,400[11].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Transportation Security Screeners in the US was $66,770 per year and $32.10 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Transportation Security Screeners is projected to decline 4.2% from 2025 to 2035, from about 53,500 to 51,200 jobs (a change of -2,200). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Transportation Security Screeners: 10th percentile $44,700, 25th percentile $57,050, 75th percentile $72,820, 90th percentile $78,350. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 4,500 openings for Transportation Security Screeners are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Transportation Security Screeners: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Transportation Security Screeners was $64,310 per year and $30.92 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Transportation Security Screeners: 10th percentile $21.49, 25th percentile $27.43, 75th percentile $35.01, 90th percentile $37.67. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Median annual wage for Transportation Security Screeners in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Transportation Security Screeners (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $78,940; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $78,940; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $76,130; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $73,610; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $73,610; Kahului-Wailuku, HI $72,510; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $72,340; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $72,240. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Transportation Security Screeners jobs: Florida 6,920; California 5,410; Texas 4,300; New York 4,240; Illinois 1,970. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Transportation Security Screeners jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 4,610 (median $72,340); Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 3,250 (median $65,080); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,670 (median $73,610); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 1,780 (median $70,570); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,690 (median $68,640); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,570 (median $66,770). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. O*NET 33-9093.00 survey of workers (27 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 85%, Some College Courses 11% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  16. O*NET 33-9093.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET description of Transportation Security Screeners. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET task list for Transportation Security Screeners. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET 33-9093.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Security Screener, Transportation Security Officer (TSO). O*NET OnLine
  20. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  21. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 50,290 people were employed as Transportation Security Screeners in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  22. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Transportation Security Screeners: 4.1% of workers leave the labor force each year and 5% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  23. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

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. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.