Transportation Security Officers

  • Deadline to apply: 12/30/2022
  • Salary $39,635 – $55,078 per year
  • Location: Albany, NY

Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) provide security and protection of air travelers, airports and aircraft in a courteous and professional manner.  This includes:

  • Operating various screening equipment and technology to identify dangerous objects in baggage, cargo and on passengers, and preventing those objects from being transported onto aircraft.
  • Performing searches and screening, which may include physical interaction with passengers (e.g., pat-downs, search of property, etc.), conducting bag searches and lifting/carrying bags, bins, and property weighing up to 50lbs.
  • Controlling terminal entry and exit points.
  • Interacting with the public, giving directions and responding to inquiries.
  • Maintaining focus and awareness while working in a stressful environment which includes noise from alarms, machinery and people, crowd distractions, time pressure, and disruptive and angry passengers, in order to preserve the professional ability to identify and locate potentially life threatening or mass destruction devices, and to make effective decisions in both crisis and routine situations.
  • Engaging in continuous development of critical thinking skills, necessary to mitigate actual and potential security threats, by identifying, evaluating, and applying appropriate situational options and approaches.  This may include application of risk-based security screening protocols that vary based on program requirements.
  • Retaining and implementing knowledge of all applicable Standard Operating Procedures, demonstrating responsible and dependable behavior, and is open to change and adapts to new information or unexpected obstacles.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National and at least 18 years of age
  • Pass a drug screening, medical evaluation, and background investigation
  • Subject to post-employment random drug and/or alcohol testing
  • Must be registered for Selective Service (males born after 12/31/59)
  • Must be available to work various shifts and overtime, as needed
  • Mandatory travel for training and occasional travel may be required

The requirements listed above must be met at the time of application submission.

Other Requirements:

  • Selective Service Registration Requirement: TSA policy requires verification of Selective Service registration for male applicants born after 12/31/59. To find out if you initially meet the Selective Service registration requirement for TSA employment, please Click Here.
  • Credit: Applicants must not have delinquent Federal or State taxes, or past due child support payments.
  • E-Verify: DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
  • Residency Requirement: To ensure adequate background investigative coverage, applicants are required to have resided within the United States for three of the last five years immediately prior to applying for this position. For those applicants who do not meet this residency requirement, an exception may be granted under the following circumstances – (1) applicant worked for U.S. Government in foreign countries in federal civilian or military capacities; (2) applicant was or is a dependent accompanying a federal civilian or military employee serving in foreign countries; (3) applicant who studied abroad at a U.S. affiliated college or university; or (4) applicant who has a current and adequate federal background investigation completed for a federal or Government contractor position.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet these qualifications in order to be further evaluated in the TSO hiring process:

  • Have a high school diploma, General Educational Development (GED), High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), or Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) credential OR at least one year of full-time work experience in the security industry, aviation screening, or as an X-ray technician
  • Be proficient in the English language (i.e., able to read, write, speak, and comprehend)

For more information, click here.