Airport Security Officer

Airport Security Officer completes specialist tasks and here are 21 real tasks that show what expertise looks like on the job. The tasks explain typical tools like Web browser and who depends on your accuracy. Each one shows where we found it, and comes with an AI prompt you can copy and use straight away.

21evidenced tasks
21ready prompts
8tools of the trade
33-9093.00O*NET-SOC code
50,290hold this job (US, BLS 2025)
$66,770median pay/yr (US)
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What it pays

Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.

Half of all Transportation Security Screeners in the U.S. earn more than $66,770 a year — the middle 80% land between $44,700 and $78,350. About 50,290 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Transportation Security Screeners”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Service and sales workers earn about ₹15,575 a month on average — around ₹1.9 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$66,770typical pay / year
50,290people in this work
$78,350+top 10% earn
₹1.9 lakha year in India (family avg)
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The work, task by task

These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.

The daily work18

Conduct pat-down or wand searches

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Perform a controlled pat-down or wand search of the passenger in lane two who triggered an alarm, explain…
Perform a controlled pat-down or wand search of the passenger in lane two who triggered an alarm, explain each step before touching, keep contact to authorized areas only, document findings on the incident log and hand the passenger a written receipt before release.
The tools that do the workx-ray machinesjob descriptionsO*NET

Inform passengers of how to mail prohibited items to themselves, or confiscate these items.

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Tell the passenger at gate B12 they can either mail the prohibited aerosol and lighter home using the airport…
Tell the passenger at gate B12 they can either mail the prohibited aerosol and lighter home using the airport courier service today for a receipt, or I will log and confiscate the items now and issue the property claim ticket before they board.
The tools that do the workWeb browserO*NET

Patrol work areas to detect any suspicious items.

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Do a 15-minute foot patrol of concourse C and the screening hold area, scanning seating, unattended bags and…
Do a 15-minute foot patrol of concourse C and the screening hold area, scanning seating, unattended bags and trash bins for suspicious objects, report anything odd to the shift supervisor and mark location and time on the log.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordO*NET

Watch for potentially dangerous persons whose pictures are posted at checkpoints.

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Stand the checkpoint post and compare faces to the wanted persons photos pinned at the desk, stop anyone…
Stand the checkpoint post and compare faces to the wanted persons photos pinned at the desk, stop anyone matching the photo for secondary inspection and call the supervisor and police liaison if the individual refuses or shows hostile behavior.
The tools that do the workRapiscan Threat Image ProjectionO*NET

Test baggage for explosive materials

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Collect a small sample from the suspect bag at screening, run the handheld trace detector per explosives…
Collect a small sample from the suspect bag at screening, run the handheld trace detector per explosives protocol, record the pad readings, isolate the bag, notify EOD and complete the hazardous materials test report.
The tools that do the workx-ray machinesWeb browserjob descriptions

Operate security screening equipment

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Bring the conveyor line and walk-through station to operational checks at start of shift: verify alarm…
Bring the conveyor line and walk-through station to operational checks at start of shift: verify alarm sensors, calibrate the metal detector thresholds, confirm imaging quality and log pass/fail results before opening lane 4 to the public.
The tools that do the workRapiscan Threat Image Projectionjob descriptions

Identify and stop security threats

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When observing passenger flow, intercept any individual behaving aggressively, record the behavior, check…
When observing passenger flow, intercept any individual behaving aggressively, record the behavior, check their ID against watch lists, conduct a lawful pat-down if risk is credible, and escalate to supervisor and police if threat persists.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptions

Search for weapons, drugs, contraband

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Search the passenger and carry-on flagged at Gate B12 for weapons, drugs, or other contraband, inspect all…
Search the passenger and carry-on flagged at Gate B12 for weapons, drugs, or other contraband, inspect all sealed containers and electronics, document findings on the incident sheet, secure any evidence, and notify the duty supervisor immediately.
The tools that do the workx-ray machinesjob descriptions

Examine samples of human cells under a microscope

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Prepare and examine the suspicious cell sample from the bio-screening kit under the microscope, follow…
Prepare and examine the suspicious cell sample from the bio-screening kit under the microscope, follow laboratory biosafety steps, record morphological observations and capture two micrographs, then log the sample into the chain-of-custody notebook.
The tools that do the workWeb browserESCO

Assist in identifying cell abnormality and disease

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Review the stained slide showing the passenger's epithelial cells, note any abnormal morphology or signs of…
Review the stained slide showing the passenger's epithelial cells, note any abnormal morphology or signs of infection, compare with reference images in the lab guide, write a concise report for the medical officer, and flag urgent concerns by phone.
The tools that do the workWeb browserESCO

Hygiene in a health care setting

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Perform routine hygiene rounds in the screening clinic: clean work surfaces and equipment with approved…
Perform routine hygiene rounds in the screening clinic: clean work surfaces and equipment with approved disinfectant, replace PPE between patient contacts, restock hand-sanitiser and biohazard bags, and sign the hygiene log at the end of shift.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordESCOsee the evidence ↗

Work in multidisciplinary health teams

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Attend the multidisciplinary briefing with the medical officer, customs inspector and lab technician, share…
Attend the multidisciplinary briefing with the medical officer, customs inspector and lab technician, share the screening findings, agree on next steps for a suspect passenger, record agreed actions and responsible persons, and circulate the minutes.
The tools that do the workSlackESCOsee the evidence ↗

Biosafety in biomedical laboratory

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Set up the temporary lab area following biosafety level procedures: don appropriate PPE, label and contain…
Set up the temporary lab area following biosafety level procedures: don appropriate PPE, label and contain samples, decontaminate instruments after use, dispose of waste in biohazard bins, and complete the biosafety checklist before leaving.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordESCOsee the evidence ↗

Health care legislation

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Review the new draft health care legislation summary, highlight clauses affecting passenger screening and…
Review the new draft health care legislation summary, highlight clauses affecting passenger screening and biological sample handling, annotate with sections that conflict with current airport procedures, and send the annotated draft to Lisa in legal and to Chief Martinez by Tuesday midday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookESCOsee the evidence ↗

Microscopic techniques

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Prepare a short training brief on microscopic techniques used to identify biohazards in screened items,…
Prepare a short training brief on microscopic techniques used to identify biohazards in screened items, include stepwise inspection checks, photos of suspected particles, and circulate the brief to the biosecurity team before Friday morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordWeb browserESCOsee the evidence ↗

Assist in the production of laboratory documentation

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Compile the laboratory documentation packet for the incident last month: chain of custody forms, sample logs,…
Compile the laboratory documentation packet for the incident last month: chain of custody forms, sample logs, technician notes, and the lab safety checklist, confirm completeness, then upload the complete packet to the station records and notify Supervisor Hale.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft OutlookESCOsee the evidence ↗

Apply health sciences

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Apply health sciences principles to update our passenger-contact procedures: list required hygiene steps, PPE…
Apply health sciences principles to update our passenger-contact procedures: list required hygiene steps, PPE changes, and waste disposal measures that reduce cross-contamination, then submit the proposed procedure to Infection Control and to Chief Martinez by Thursday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordSlackESCOsee the evidence ↗

Applicant tracking

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review the applicant tracking for the three checkpoint officer candidates, add interview scores, record the…
review the applicant tracking for the three checkpoint officer candidates, add interview scores, record the background check status for Maria Gomez, and flag her file for final selection discussion on Friday.
The tools that do the workApplicant trackingO*NET
Get approval2

Check passengers' tickets for validity

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Verify the boarding pass and government ID for the passenger at gate A12 whose boarding pass barcode failed…
Verify the boarding pass and government ID for the passenger at gate A12 whose boarding pass barcode failed scan, check travel date and name match, flag any invalid or altered tickets to the gate agent and record the outcome in the day roster.
The tools that do the workWeb browserjob descriptionsO*NET

Notify supervisors of security breaches

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Immediately notify Supervisor Maria Lopez and Duty Manager Aaron Chen by secure message and note the time…
Immediately notify Supervisor Maria Lopez and Duty Manager Aaron Chen by secure message and note the time when the unescorted individual accessed secured area B, describe observed actions, attach CCTV clip ID 2026-07-16-08:12, and request on-scene supervisor response within ten minutes.
The tools that do the workSlackjob descriptionsO*NET
Sending & sharing1

Send checked baggage through automated screening

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Route the checked bag on belt three through the automated screening lane, confirm operator sees a clear…
Route the checked bag on belt three through the automated screening lane, confirm operator sees a clear image, if alarmed remove it to secondary screening, notify the handling agent and complete the screening log with bag tag 457829 before returning to the carousel.
The tools that do the workRapiscan Threat Image Projectionjob descriptionsO*NET

Says who?

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The logs, files & records this job keeps

Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.

Related careers

Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.

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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses