Does TSA (Transportation Security Administration) pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, TSA (Transportation Security Administration) employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.7 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at TSA (Transportation Security Administration). This rating has decreased by 3% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at TSA (Transportation Security Administration)?

56% of TSA (Transportation Security Administration) employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated TSA (Transportation Security Administration) 2.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 2.9 for culture and values and 3.5 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at TSA (Transportation Security Administration)?

TSO (Transportation Security Officer) (782) , Transportation Security Officer (294) , Tso (247) , TSA OFFICER (111) , Security Officer (102) , Lead Transportation Security Officer (78) , TSO Officer (61) , LTSO (52) , Officer (44) , Supervisory Transportation Security Officer (44) , Supervisor (30) , Screener (23) , Administrative Assistant (21) , Program Analyst (14) , Lead Officer (13)

What are the pros of working at TSA (Transportation Security Administration) according to real employee reviews?

"Good benefits and good for stepping up into gov work" ((in 472 reviews)); "If you have no life and are willing to work constantly then I would say the pay is good." ((in 305 reviews)); "There are some great people that work there and the experiences you get from the federal government." ((in 83 reviews)); "Some good coworkers as long as you are friendly and communicate with others" ((in 67 reviews)); "TSA offered great job security" ((in 39 reviews))

What are the cons of working at TSA (Transportation Security Administration) according to real employee reviews?

"Poor management and work hours" ((in 336 reviews)); "Supervisors and managers show much favoritism which makes it difficult to achieve good bonus ratings." ((in 71 reviews)); "Many supervisors have power trips and think they are military." ((in 64 reviews)); "Poor management and leadership." ((in 62 reviews)); "They wonder why the morale is low and people are leaving." ((in 60 reviews))

What are employees saying about TSA (Transportation Security Administration) layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about TSA (Transportation Security Administration) layoffs and their outlook for job security at TSA (Transportation Security Administration) in 2026.

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TSA (Transportation Security Administration)

TSA (Transportation Security Administration) reviews

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3.4

56% would recommend to a friend

(2,917 total reviews)

David P. Pekoske

64% approve of CEO

45% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.7

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Diversity & inclusion

3.5

Career opportunities

2.9

Culture & values

2.8

Work/Life balance

2.7

Senior management

TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has an employee rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 2,917 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Gobierno y Administración Pública industry (3.6 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

3K reviews

2.0

Nov 25, 2012

Largely disappointed

Transportation security officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I thought this would be a good stepping stone into service with the federal government. I was wrong. The only positive that came out of this job was that I was able to see what I DIDN'T want to do with/for the rest of my life. FYI, I hold a BA in Arabic Language and Middle East Studies and I speak 4 languages other than English. Talk about underemployment.

Cons

LOTS of incompetent, lazy officers making the rest of us look bad Ever-changing "standards" that varied from airport to airport Aside from a select few, management was useless; clearly no concern for family issues

3.0

Nov 24, 2012

Moderate starting pay, salary/ advancement opportunities stagnate for years

Master transportation security officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Get your foot in the door to a government job. Stable job, good benefits.

Cons

Irregular work schedules. Pay banding causes salary to stagnate and workers get little to no raise for years. Too much use of part time workers, slow advancement to full time. High turnover, people get stressed out and tired of waiting for better pay, advancement and full time work.

1.0

Nov 18, 2012

The TSA is very inflexible as an employer, management is poor, and policies are geared toward serving freaquent fliers.

Master transportation security officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The best reason to work for the TSA is access to federal government benefits. Check OPM.gov to see whats available. Another pro is chance to see things from behind the scenes in an airport.

Cons

At many airports there is poor management, employee communication is strained, and policies and procedures are unclear. The perception is that we are understaffed during peak periods, giving the impression that we are not staying consistent with airport growth.

Viewing 2854 - 2856 of 2,917 Reviews

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Jobs at TSA (Transportation Security Administration)

Transportation Security Officer

Transportation Security Officer

Transportation Security Officer

Transportation Security Officer

Hilton Head Island, SC

$41K - $57K /yr

(Employer provided)

View job

Transportation Security Officer

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Largely disappointed

Moderate starting pay, salary/ advancement opportunities stagnate for years

The TSA is very inflexible as an employer, management is poor, and policies are geared toward serving freaquent fliers.

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