BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasTransportation Security Screeners

O*NET · 33-9093.00

Transportation Security Screeners

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.

Also called Airline Security Representative · Airport Baggage Screener · Airport Screener · Airport Security Screener · Bag Checker · Baggage Inspector · Baggage Screener · Baggage Security Checker
16 more

Biometric Screener · Flight Security Specialist · Notification Specialist · Passenger Screener · Screener · Security Inspector · Security Officer · Security Screener · Transportation Officer · Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Screener · Transportation Security Administration Screener (TSA Screener) · Transportation Security Officer (TSO) · Transportation Security Screener · Transportation Security Specialist · TSA Screener · TSO

Job Zone 2 — Some Preparation NeededHolland code CRE35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Dental Hygienists

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 2: Some Preparation Needed

Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma, some previous work-related skill or experience, and a few months to a year of training with experienced workers.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

CREConventional · Realistic · Enterprising — the three strongest interests, in order

  • C Conventional5.51
  • R Realistic5.21
  • E Enterprising2.61
  • S Social2.45
  • I Investigative2.01
  • A Artistic1.00

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Less than a High School Diploma4%
  • High School Diploma or the equivalent85%
  • Some College Courses11%
Related work experience
None (74%)
On-site or in-plant training
Up to and including 1 month (48%)
On-the-job training
Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (41%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Monitoringbasic3.43.1Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Speakingbasic3.43.0Level 2 looks like: Greet tourists and explain tourist attractions
  • Active Listeningbasic3.33.5Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.33.5Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Coordination3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Social Perceptiveness3.33.0Level 2 looks like: Notice that customers are angry because they have been waiting too long
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.12.9Level 2 looks like: Decide how scheduling a break will affect work flow
  • Persuasion3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Read step-by-step instructions for completing a form
  • Service Orientation3.02.8Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Active Learningbasic2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities
  • Instructing2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
Show the other 23
  • Writingbasic2.92.6Level 2 looks like: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant
  • Operations Monitoring2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Complex Problem Solving2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Lay out tools to complete a job
  • Negotiation2.62.5Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Operation and Control2.62.5Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Time Management2.62.1Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.52.8Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Quality Control Analysis2.52.5Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.52.4Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Systems Evaluation2.42.4Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Troubleshooting2.31.9Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Systems Analysis2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Equipment Maintenance2.01.5Level 2 looks like: Add oil to an engine as indicated by a warning light
  • Equipment Selection1.91.6Level 2 looks like: Select a tool to adjust a loose part on a bicycle
  • Mathematicsbasic1.91.6Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Operations Analysis1.91.4Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Management of Material Resources1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Sciencebasic1.81.0Level 2 looks like: Conduct standard tests to determine soil quality
  • Repairing1.61.3Level 2 looks like: Tighten a screw to get a door to close properly
  • Management of Financial Resources1.61.0Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Programming1.50.9
  • Installation1.0—
  • Technology Design1.0—

Tasks

24 core · 2 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Inspect carry-on items, using x-ray viewing equipment, to determine whether items contain objects that warrant further investigation.4.9
  2. Search carry-on or checked baggage by hand when it is suspected to contain prohibited items such as weapons.4.8
  3. 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.4.7
  4. 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.4.7
  5. Test baggage for any explosive materials, using equipment such as explosive detection machines or chemical swab systems.4.7
  6. Decide whether baggage that triggers alarms should be searched or should be allowed to pass through.4.6
  7. Notify supervisors or other appropriate personnel when security breaches occur.4.6
  8. Send checked baggage through automated screening machines, and set bags aside for searching or rescreening as indicated by equipment.4.6
  9. Follow those who breach security until police or other security personnel arrive to apprehend them.4.6
  10. Inform other screeners when baggage should not be opened because it might contain explosives.4.5
  11. Ask passengers to remove shoes and divest themselves of metal objects prior to walking through metal detectors.4.4
  12. Inspect checked baggage for signs of tampering.4.4
Show the other 14
  1. Close entry areas following security breaches or reopen areas after receiving notification that the airport is secure.4.3
  2. Contact police directly in cases of urgent security issues, using phones or two-way radios.4.2
  3. Record information about any baggage that sets off alarms in monitoring equipment.4.2
  4. Challenge suspicious people, requesting their badges and asking what their business is in a particular areas.4.2
  5. Patrol work areas to detect any suspicious items.4.2
  6. Contact leads or supervisors to discuss objects of concern that are not on prohibited object lists.4.0
  7. Watch for potentially dangerous persons whose pictures are posted at checkpoints.4.0
  8. Confiscate dangerous items and hazardous materials found in opened bags and turn them over to airlines for disposal.3.9
  9. Monitor passenger flow through screening checkpoints to ensure order and efficiency.3.8
  10. Inform passengers of how to mail prohibited items to themselves, or confiscate these items.3.6
  11. Direct passengers to areas where they can pick up their baggage after screening is complete.3.4
  12. Provide directions and respond to passenger inquiries.3.4
  13. View images of checked bags and cargo, using remote screening equipment, and alert baggage screeners or handlers to any possible problems.4.7
  14. Locate suspicious bags pictured in printouts sent from remote monitoring areas, and set these bags aside for inspection.4.6

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Public Safety and Security3.84.1Level 4 looks like: Inspect a building site for safety violations
  • Customer and Personal Service3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • English Language3.63.3Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Education and Training2.72.9
  • Law and Government2.72.6
  • Administration and Management2.42.6
  • Psychology2.42.2Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Transportation2.42.1Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
Show all 33
  • Foreign Language2.11.7Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Administrative2.01.9Level 1 looks like: Direct phone calls to the appropriate staff member
  • Computers and Electronics2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Operate a media player to watch a training video
  • Communications and Media1.91.4Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Personnel and Human Resources1.91.7Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Telecommunications1.91.3Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Philosophy and Theology1.81.7Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.81.4Level 1 looks like: Identify two cultures in a story as being different
  • Mathematics1.71.1Level 1 looks like: Add two numbers
  • Mechanical1.71.3Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Economics and Accounting1.51.1Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Chemistry1.40.9Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • Engineering and Technology1.4—
  • Production and Processing1.4—
  • Therapy and Counseling1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Put ice on a sprained ankle
  • Geography1.3—
  • Sales and Marketing1.3—
  • History and Archeology1.2—
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.2—
  • Physics1.2—
  • Biology1.1—
  • Building and Construction1.1—
  • Design1.1—
  • Fine Arts1.0—
  • Food Production1.0—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Problem Sensitivity4.13.9Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Selective Attention3.63.8Level 4 looks like: Watch security monitors for intruders throughout the night shift
  • Deductive Reasoning3.53.4Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Flexibility of Closure3.53.9Level 4 looks like: Look for a golf ball in tall grass
  • Inductive Reasoning3.53.5Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Oral Comprehension3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression3.53.6Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Near Vision3.43.8
Show all 52
  • Speech Clarity3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Speech Recognition3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Information Ordering3.33.3Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Perceptual Speed3.33.6Level 4 looks like: Read five pressure indicators in 10 seconds to make sure each is within safe limits
  • Category Flexibility3.13.0Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Far Vision3.13.8Level 4 looks like: Read the slides on a presentation from across a room
  • Written Comprehension3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Finger Dexterity3.02.8Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Manual Dexterity3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Pack oranges in crates as quickly as possible
  • Multilimb Coordination3.02.6Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Auditory Attention2.93.1Level 4 looks like: Listen for your flight announcement at a busy airport
  • Reaction Time2.93.1Level 4 looks like: Press a button to stop operation when a warning light goes off
  • Speed of Closure2.92.9Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Static Strength2.93.4Level 4 looks like: Pull a 40-pound sack of fertilizer across the lawn
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.92.6
  • Rate Control2.82.5Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Time Sharing2.82.9Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
  • Trunk Strength2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Written Expression2.82.6
  • Control Precision2.62.5Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Extent Flexibility2.62.9Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.62.5Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Stamina2.62.6
  • Visualization2.62.8Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Gross Body Coordination2.52.5Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Memorization2.52.6
  • Originality2.52.4Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Response Orientation2.52.6Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Dynamic Strength2.42.4Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Fluency of Ideas2.42.5Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Speed of Limb Movement2.41.9Level 2 looks like: Saw through a thin piece of wood
  • Depth Perception2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Gross Body Equilibrium2.32.0Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.01.5Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Number Facility2.01.5Level 1 looks like: Add 2 and 7
  • Explosive Strength1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Hit a nail with a hammer
  • Glare Sensitivity1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Drive on a familiar road on a cloudy day
  • Peripheral Vision1.40.6
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.3—
  • Sound Localization1.3—
  • Spatial Orientation1.3—
  • Night Vision1.1—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Getting Information4.24.1Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.14.3Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.04.3Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.94.1Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Handling and Moving Objects3.95.3Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.94.1Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.73.6Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems3.73.9Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
Show all 41
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.64.2Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Training and Teaching Others3.53.4Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.34.0Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.23.7Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.23.2Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.23.0Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Controlling Machines and Processes3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Operate a drilling rig
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.13.2Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Developing and Building Teams3.13.2Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Documenting/Recording Information3.13.0Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.13.4Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Working with Computers3.02.4Level 1 looks like: Enter employee information into a database
  • Assisting and Caring for Others2.92.8
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment2.92.6
  • Analyzing Data or Information2.82.8
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization2.82.4Level 1 looks like: Have little contact with people outside the organization
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People2.82.9
  • Processing Information2.82.9
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information2.72.4Level 1 looks like: Estimate the size of household furniture to be shipped
  • Scheduling Work and Activities2.72.9
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work2.62.6
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others2.62.5Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that requires little advising of others
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.52.4Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies2.42.3Level 1 looks like: Plan the holiday schedule for an airline workforce
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.42.2Level 1 looks like: Work as a server responsible for keeping track of utensils
  • Performing Administrative Activities2.42.3Level 1 looks like: Complete routine paperwork
  • Thinking Creatively2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Change the spacing on a printed report
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools
  • Selling or Influencing Others1.71.2Level 1 looks like: Convince a coworker to assist with an assignment
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment1.61.2Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.3—

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.7
  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.7
  • Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People4.6
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6
  • Contact With Others4.5
  • Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.4
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.4
  • Physical Proximity4.4
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.3
  • Spend Time Standing4.3

Technology

12 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (7)

  • Linux
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft Word
  • Oracle Java
  • Slack
Other tools (5)
  • Applicant tracking software
  • Email software
  • Oracle Taleo
  • Rapiscan Threat Image Projection
  • Web browser software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Security Guards
  2. Transit and Railroad Police
  3. Flight Attendants
  4. Baggage Porters and Bellhops
  5. Airfield Operations Specialists
  6. First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
  7. Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
  8. Customs and Border Protection Officers
  9. Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
  10. Compliance Officers

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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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. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.