How to hire transportation security screeners
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • 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. • Decide whether baggage that triggers alarms should be searched or should be allowed to pass through. • Inspect carry-on items, using x-ray viewing equipment, to determine whether items contain objects that warrant further investigation. • 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. • Search carry-on or checked baggage by hand when it is suspected to contain prohibited items such as weapons. • Send checked baggage through automated screening machines, and set bags aside for searching or rescreening as indicated by equipment. • Test baggage for any explosive materials, using equipment such as explosive detection machines or chemical swab systems. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong monitoring, speaking, active listening, critical thinking and reading comprehension skills • Working knowledge of public safety and security, customer and personal service and English Language • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $32.10 an hour ($66,770 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for transportation security screeners
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to 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. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to decide whether baggage that triggers alarms should be searched or should be allowed to pass through. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inspect carry-on items, using x-ray viewing equipment, to determine whether items contain objects that warrant further investigation. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to notify supervisors or other appropriate personnel when security breaches occur. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What transportation security screeners do
- 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.
- Decide whether baggage that triggers alarms should be searched or should be allowed to pass through.
- Inspect carry-on items, using x-ray viewing equipment, to determine whether items contain objects that warrant further investigation.
- 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.
- Search carry-on or checked baggage by hand when it is suspected to contain prohibited items such as weapons.
- Send checked baggage through automated screening machines, and set bags aside for searching or rescreening as indicated by equipment.
- Test baggage for any explosive materials, using equipment such as explosive detection machines or chemical swab systems.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for transportation security screeners
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: None (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -4.2% over ten years, declining · about 4,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay transportation security screeners
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $74,400 |
| California | $73,610 |
| Massachusetts | $73,510 |
| Maryland | $72,240 |
| New York | $72,010 |
| Tennessee | $61,110 |
| Utah | $61,110 |
| Missouri | $51,210 |
See transportation security screeners pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Security Guards
- Transit and Railroad Police
- Flight Attendants
- Baggage Porters and Bellhops
- Airfield Operations Specialists
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
- Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
- Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
- Compliance Officers
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: 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. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.