Security Screener Job Description

Training and Certification of Civil Aviation Security Screeners

Civil Aviation Security Screeners must be trained and certified to use the machines. They must pass certification exams on a periodic basis. If you fail to pass any phase of training or a certification examination, you are terminated.

Civil Aviation Security Screeners can attend meetings where classified or security-sensitive information is provided. They must have a security clearance that is appropriate to their position. Level 2 screeners are certified to travel.

They screen passengers, baggage, and cargo. They have completed all training and certification requirements for Level 1 screeners and have at least one year of work equivalent to Level 1. Manager Level 1 Screening Supervisors are the first level supervisors of screeners who provide direct day to day supervision of Level 1, 2 and 3 screeners, and may fill in for screeners when they must leave their posts.

They perform a full range of duties, including approving leave, scheduling work, and managing performance. Manager Level 1 screeners must have experience, training, and certification as screeners as well as the ability to supervise others. The Transportation Security Administration has established a time period for those promoted from journey or advanced level positions to get training and certification equipment they have not yet been certified on.

The Salary of Airport Security Screeners

Airport screeners are on the front lines of keeping the United States citizens safe. Screeners are usually required to work in teams of three or more at the checkpoint. The jobs include checking carry-on baggage using an X-ray machine, manually inspecting baggage and performing pat-down as needed, and ensuring passengers walk through the metal detector properly and efficiently.

The Department of Homeland Security has a responsibility for security relating to civil aviation and other forms of transportation, and some airports have screeners who work for the Transportation Security Administration. The private screening companies that are employed by other airports are monitored by the TSA. The job responsibilities are the same.

Depending on location, the airport security screeners' salary can be as high as $33,000. The highest starting salary for security screeners was in Stockton, Calif. The starting price for screeners with more experience is between $43,500 and $51,000.

Passengers are not allowed to board airplanes with anything that could be used as a weapon or made into one. Screeners are performing tasks such as hand-wanding, pat-down searches and monitoring passengers as they walk through the metal detector. In a fast-paced environment, screeners must be professional.

The TSA Secure Flight Program

Security measures begin before you get to the airport. The intelligence and law enforcement communities are closely connected with the TSA. There are additional security measures in place when you get to the airport.

The TSA screens over one million checked bags daily. Your baggage will be provided to the security screening agency. Your airline will deliver your checked baggage to the baggage claim area once the screening process is complete.

Most checked baggage is screened without a bag search. Individual airports have the responsibility for access control and video monitoring of checked baggage facilities. Monitoring methods can include the use of cameras.

The Department of Homeland Security is working to raise the baseline for aviation security across the globe by requiring the implementation of enhanced security measures at approximately 280 foreign airports with direct commercial flights to the U.S. Information aviation security worldwide can be found in the FAQ. Pat-down procedures are used to determine if a person has concealed prohibited items.

If the screening technology alarms, as part of unpredictable security measures, for enhanced screening, or as an alternative to other types of screening, you may be required to undergo a pat-down procedure. Passengers who receive expedited screening, such as the TSA PreCheck passengers, may receive a pat-down. The program is called Secure Flight and it uses a risk-based passenger prescreening program to identify low and high-risk passengers before they arrive at the airport.

The Work of Security Screeners

Security screeners make an average of over $30,000 per year. If you live in Los Angeles, you will get a higher pay than if you live in Idaho. Security screeners receive government benefits, including health insurance, retirement plan, sick and vacation pay.

Have you ever worked in customer service? Customer service and security responsibilities are combined in the security screener jobs. There is nothing worse for an airline passenger than going through a security checkpoint.

Remove your shoes, put your laptop in the tray, and then clear out your pockets. It is not pleasant. Think of your own experiences at the airport.

Can you imagine a time when the Security Screeners worked to make travelers feel comfortable and at ease, while showing some degree of humor? It is not easy, but some are successful at it. Travelers walk through an airport security checkpoint where they have their carry-on bags scanned and sometimes inspected for banned items, and screener jobs include conducting screens of checked baggage, and working at the airport checkpoint.

Six to eight screeners are rotating through the airport every 30 minutes to check passengers and luggage. There are plenty of opportunities for promotions if you stay with the TSA for a long time. You could be promoted to the position of lead transportation security officer where you will supervise screeners and manage rotation and scheduling.