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>Transportation Security Screeners
Transportation Security Screeners
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.
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.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $37K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $40K
Median Salary: $44K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $47K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $53K
Demand
Core Tasks
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.
Check passengers' tickets to ensure that they are valid, and to determine whether passengers have designations that require special handling, such as providing photo identification.
View images of checked bags and cargo, using remote screening equipment, and alert baggage screeners or handlers to any possible problems.
Test baggage for any explosive materials, using equipment such as explosive detection machines or chemical swab systems.
Notify supervisors or other appropriate personnel when security breaches occur.
Perform pat-down or hand-held wand searches of passengers who have triggered machine alarms, who are unable to pass through metal detectors, or who have been randomly identified for such searches.
Send checked baggage through automated screening machines, and set bags aside for searching or rescreening as indicated by equipment.
Decide whether baggage that triggers alarms should be searched or should be allowed to pass through.
Follow those who breach security until police or other security personnel arrive to apprehend them.
Locate suspicious bags pictured in printouts sent from remote monitoring areas, and set these bags aside for inspection.
Inform other screeners when baggage should not be opened because it might contain explosives.
Ask passengers to remove shoes and divest themselves of metal objects prior to walking through metal detectors.
Inspect checked baggage for signs of tampering.
Close entry areas following security breaches or reopen areas after receiving notification that the airport is secure.
Challenge suspicious people, requesting their badges and asking what their business is in a particular areas.
Patrol work areas to detect any suspicious items.
Contact police directly in cases of urgent security issues, using phones or two-way radios.
Record information about any baggage that sets off alarms in monitoring equipment.
Contact leads or supervisors to discuss objects of concern that are not on prohibited object lists.
Watch for potentially dangerous persons whose pictures are posted at checkpoints.
Confiscate dangerous items and hazardous materials found in opened bags and turn them over to airlines for disposal.
Monitor passenger flow through screening checkpoints to ensure order and efficiency.
Inform passengers of how to mail prohibited items to themselves, or confiscate these items.
Direct passengers to areas where they can pick up their baggage after screening is complete.
Provide directions and respond to passenger inquiries.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Public Safety and Security
77%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Customer and Personal Service
72%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language
72%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Law and Government
55%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Education and Training
54%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Administration and Management
49%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Transportation
49%
Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Psychology
48%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Foreign Language
42%
Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Clerical
40%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Top 10 Skills
Monitoring
68%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking
68%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening
65%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Coordination
65%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking
65%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Social Perceptiveness
65%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Judgment and Decision Making
63%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Persuasion
60%
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Reading Comprehension
60%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Service Orientation
60%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Top 10 Abilities
Problem Sensitivity
83%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Selective Attention
73%
The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Deductive Reasoning
70%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Flexibility of Closure
70%
The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Inductive Reasoning
70%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Comprehension
70%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
70%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Near Vision
68%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Clarity
68%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
68%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Top 10 Work Activities
Getting Information
85%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
83%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
80%
Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
79%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Performing General Physical Activities
79%
Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Handling and Moving Objects
78%
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
75%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
74%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
72%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Training and Teaching Others
71%
Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Detailed Work Activities
Inspect cargo to identify potential hazards.
Examine personal documentation to ensure that it is valid.
Search individuals for illegal or dangerous items.
Communicate situation details to appropriate personnel.
Determine operational procedures.
Monitor activities of individuals to ensure safety or compliance with rules.
Communicate safety or hazard information to others.
Block physical access to restricted areas.
Prevent unauthorized individuals from entering restricted areas.
Patrol properties to maintain safety.
Request emergency personnel.
Record information about suspicious objects.
Maintain surveillance of individuals or establishments.
Confiscate prohibited or dangerous items.
Monitor access or flow of people to prevent problems.
Inform the public about policies, services or procedures.
Provide information to the general public.
Locate suspicious objects or vehicles.
Work Context
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People
How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
Exposed to Radiation
How often does this job require exposure to radiation?
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
Education
Interests
Enterprising
81%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Realistic
81%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional
62%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Social
39%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative
24%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic
15%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Top 10 Work Styles
Integrity
93%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Dependability
90%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail
89%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Self Control
89%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Stress Tolerance
89%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Adaptability/Flexibility
86%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Cooperation
86%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Concern for Others
77%
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Initiative
72%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Persistence
72%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Work Values
Support
86%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Relationships
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence
48%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
48%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Working Conditions
46%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
39%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
