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How Much Does a Transportation Security Screener Make?

A transportation security screener in the US earns a median salary of $66,770 a year, or $32.10 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $64,310, and the middle half earn between $57,050 and $72,820.

Median a year $66,770
Median an hour $32.10
Median a month $5,564
Average a year $64,310

Transportation security screener pay range

What transportation security screeners earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $44,700 $21.49
25th $57,050 $27.43
Median (50th) $66,770 $32.10
75th $72,820 $35.01
90th (top 10%) $78,350 $37.67

The median is 31% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 50,290 people work as transportation security screeners in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$1,284
Every two weeks
$2,568
Twice a month
$2,782
A month
$5,564

At the median salary, before tax.

Transportation security screener salary by state

Sorted by average pay. New Hampshire pays transportation security screeners the most, at $75,580 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
New Hampshire $75,580 $76,130 80 After tax
New Jersey $73,490 $74,400 1,200 After tax
Maryland $72,230 $72,240 570 After tax
Alaska $71,150 $71,390 440 After tax
Massachusetts $70,950 $73,510 1,380 After tax
California $68,660 $73,610 5,410 After tax
Rhode Island $68,450 $71,510 160 After tax
Colorado $67,870 $71,530 1,250 After tax
Hawaii $67,720 $70,160 1,010 After tax
Illinois $67,300 $70,570 1,970 After tax
Texas $66,740 $68,640 4,300 After tax
Minnesota $65,660 $67,290 740 After tax
Virginia $65,010 $69,910 1,870 After tax
Virgin Islands $64,930 $65,170 90
Maine $64,630 $63,130 160 After tax
New York $64,540 $72,010 4,240 After tax
Michigan $63,970 $67,390 1,070 After tax
Ohio $63,510 $65,870 690 After tax
Alabama $63,390 $63,770 260 After tax
Pennsylvania $63,390 $67,330 1,460 After tax
West Virginia $62,860 $63,130 90 After tax
Nevada $62,150 $64,500 1,350 After tax
Vermont $62,120 $65,460 80 After tax
Mississippi $62,080 $63,130 170 After tax
North Carolina $61,940 $64,540 1,300 After tax
Georgia $61,870 $66,770 1,850 After tax
Arizona $61,660 $64,330 1,380 After tax
Kansas $61,380 $63,130 120 After tax
Louisiana $61,380 $63,130 460 After tax
Wyoming $61,140 $61,110 90 After tax
South Carolina $60,590 $63,130 480 After tax
Utah $60,420 $61,110 510 After tax
Kentucky $60,390 $63,130 510 After tax
Arkansas $60,170 $61,110 190 After tax
Guam $60,130 $63,130 280
Tennessee $59,860 $61,110 840 After tax
Florida $59,740 $63,130 6,920 After tax
New Mexico $59,530 $63,810 200 After tax
Idaho $58,400 $63,130 250 After tax
Iowa $58,310 $61,590 220 After tax
North Dakota $58,250 $54,950 170 After tax
Indiana $57,980 $61,670 460 After tax
Nebraska $57,890 $61,710 290 After tax
Wisconsin $57,040 $63,130 540 After tax
South Dakota $56,310 $55,530 60 After tax
Puerto Rico $56,040 $63,130 610
Montana $55,250 $54,770 330 After tax
Missouri $54,430 $51,210 930 After tax

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other protective service jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Transportation Security Screeners” (SOC 33-9093). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a transportation security screener make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a transportation security screener is $32.10, and the average is $30.92. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $21.49 an hour and the top 10% over $37.67.

How much does a transportation security screener make a month?

At the median salary of $66,770, a transportation security screener earns about $5,564 a month before tax, or $2,568 every two weeks.

Which state pays transportation security screeners the most?

New Hampshire has the highest average pay for a transportation security screener, at $75,580 a year. Next are New Jersey and Maryland. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a transportation security screener?

The lowest-paid 10% of transportation security screeners earn less than $44,700 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $57,050. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid transportation security screeners make?

The top 10% earn more than $78,350 a year, and the top 25% more than $72,820.