Transportation Security Screeners Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for transportation security screenerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New Hampshire$75,580
- New Jersey$73,490
- Maryland$72,230
- Alaska$71,150
- Massachusetts$70,950
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Missouri$54,430
- Montana$55,250
- South Dakota$56,310
- Wisconsin$57,040
- Nebraska$57,890
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $75,580 | $76,130 | $36 | +17.5% | 80 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $73,490 | $74,400 | $35 | +14.3% | 1,200 |
| 3 | Maryland | $72,230 | $72,240 | $35 | +12.3% | 570 |
| 4 | Alaska | $71,150 | $71,390 | $34 | +10.6% | 440 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $70,950 | $73,510 | $34 | +10.3% | 1,380 |
| 6 | California | $68,660 | $73,610 | $33 | +6.8% | 5,410 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $68,450 | $71,510 | $33 | +6.4% | 160 |
| 8 | Colorado | $67,870 | $71,530 | $33 | +5.5% | 1,250 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $67,720 | $70,160 | $33 | +5.3% | 1,010 |
| 10 | Illinois | $67,300 | $70,570 | $32 | +4.6% | 1,970 |
| 11 | Texas | $66,740 | $68,640 | $32 | +3.8% | 4,300 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $65,660 | $67,290 | $32 | +2.1% | 740 |
| 13 | Virginia | $65,010 | $69,910 | $31 | +1.1% | 1,870 |
| 14 | Maine | $64,630 | $63,130 | $31 | +0.5% | 160 |
| 15 | New York | $64,540 | $72,010 | $31 | +0.4% | 4,240 |
| 16 | Michigan | $63,970 | $67,390 | $31 | -0.5% | 1,070 |
| 17 | Ohio | $63,510 | $65,870 | $31 | -1.2% | 690 |
| 18 | Alabama | $63,390 | $63,770 | $30 | -1.4% | 260 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $63,390 | $67,330 | $30 | -1.4% | 1,460 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $62,860 | $63,130 | $30 | -2.3% | 90 |
| 21 | Nevada | $62,150 | $64,500 | $30 | -3.4% | 1,350 |
| 22 | Vermont | $62,120 | $65,460 | $30 | -3.4% | 80 |
| 23 | Mississippi | $62,080 | $63,130 | $30 | -3.5% | 170 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $61,940 | $64,540 | $30 | -3.7% | 1,300 |
| 25 | Georgia | $61,870 | $66,770 | $30 | -3.8% | 1,850 |
| 26 | Arizona | $61,660 | $64,330 | $30 | -4.1% | 1,380 |
| 27 | Kansas | $61,380 | $63,130 | $30 | -4.6% | 120 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $61,380 | $63,130 | $30 | -4.6% | 460 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $61,140 | $61,110 | $29 | -4.9% | 90 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $60,590 | $63,130 | $29 | -5.8% | 480 |
| 31 | Utah | $60,420 | $61,110 | $29 | -6% | 510 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $60,390 | $63,130 | $29 | -6.1% | 510 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $60,170 | $61,110 | $29 | -6.4% | 190 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $59,860 | $61,110 | $29 | -6.9% | 840 |
| 35 | Florida | $59,740 | $63,130 | $29 | -7.1% | 6,920 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $59,530 | $63,810 | $29 | -7.4% | 200 |
| 37 | Idaho | $58,400 | $63,130 | $28 | -9.2% | 250 |
| 38 | Iowa | $58,310 | $61,590 | $28 | -9.3% | 220 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $58,250 | $54,950 | $28 | -9.4% | 170 |
| 40 | Indiana | $57,980 | $61,670 | $28 | -9.8% | 460 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $57,890 | $61,710 | $28 | -10% | 290 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $57,040 | $63,130 | $27 | -11.3% | 540 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $56,310 | $55,530 | $27 | -12.4% | 60 |
| 44 | Montana | $55,250 | $54,770 | $27 | -14.1% | 330 |
| 45 | Missouri | $54,430 | $51,210 | $26 | -15.4% | 930 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 152 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $79,210 | $78,620 | 50 |
| 2 | Salinas, CA | $78,940 | $73,510 | 40 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $78,940 | $72,240 | 350 |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $78,940 | $76,000 | 320 |
| 5 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $76,130 | $72,160 | 1,250 |
| 6 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $76,130 | $76,200 | 80 |
| 7 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $76,000 | $76,680 | 160 |
| 8 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $74,400 | $64,860 | 50 |
| 9 | Flint, MI | $74,130 | $74,170 | 50 |
| 10 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $73,610 | $70,000 | 2,670 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing transportation security screenerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $67,200 | $65,830 | 46,020 |
| 2 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $67,200 | $65,830 | 46,020 |
| 3 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $67,200 | $66,030 | 45,490 |
| 4 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $67,200 | $66,030 | 45,490 |
| 5 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $67,200 | $65,830 | 46,020 |
| 6 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $66,770 | $64,310 | 50,290 |
| 7 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $47,350 | $46,650 | — |
| 8 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $47,350 | $46,650 | — |
| 9 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $46,610 | $49,080 | 520 |
| 10 | Support Activities for Transportation | $42,910 | $49,730 | 3,070 |
| 11 | Support Activities for Air Transportation | $42,910 | $49,950 | 3,050 |
| 12 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $42,910 | $49,350 | 3,130 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do transportation security screeners make in the U.S.?
The median transportation security screeners salary in the United States is $66,770 per year (mean $64,310), and about 80% earn between $44,700 and $78,350.
How much do transportation security screeners make per hour?
Roughly $31 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $64,310 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays transportation security screeners the most?
New Hampshire has the highest average pay for transportation security screeners at $75,580 per year (median $76,130).
What is the job outlook for transportation security screeners?
Employment is projected to change -6% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 4,700 openings per year.