The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the federal agency whose job it is to ensure that civilians can travel safety in this country. Hundred of thousands of people are employed by the TSA, but travelers would never know it. When most of us visit the airport, we encounter only security screeners, whose job it is to check baggage and make sure that people are not carrying illegal contraband or weapons on board. They also monitor the x-ray machines and run the metal detectors.

In the wake of recent terrorist attacks, the job of security screeners is more difficult than ever. They are encouraged to be more aggressive and to conduct random searches on travelers. Needless to say this has not endeared them to the public and they are often criticized for searching eighty-year-old grandmothers or boy scouts. But all of us must keep in mind that they are simply doing their jobs and trying to keep us safe.

Even though security remains extremely tight at most airports, it may surprise many to learn that each week hundreds of people are caught trying to smuggle weapons or some sort of illegal item on a plane. There are also numerous cases of people who are traveling with fraudulent documents. These people are promptly taken out of line by security officers, questioned and arrested.

Each year over 600, 000 passengers travel on US planes and each and every one of them must pass through some sort of security checkpoint. And although security screeners are the first and most visible line of defense, they are certainly not the last. Let us now take a quick look at some of the other security jobs that are available at the airport.

Federal Air Marshals are the policemen of the skies. They are highly-trained, law enforcement officers who carry weapons and work undercover on domestic and international flights. Their job is to blend in and to act like just another passenger. However, if trouble arises, Air Marshals are trained to handle any dangerous situation.

Though the Federal Air Marshal program was in disarray for years and employed only a handful of agents, after the terrorist attacks of September 11th hundreds of Federal Marshals were hired and have diffused dozens of dangerous situations on flights all over the nation.

It is the job of airport security inspectors to make sure that all security measures are working properly and that there are no breaches. Inspectors travel from airport to airport and grade the relative levels of security. They then write a final report and make recommendations on how security could be improved.

Inspectors work directly for the FAA and they have the power to recommend that fines be levied against airports that are not up to code on their security measures.

There are currently over forty thousand security officers working at airports all across the country. Their jobs range from monitoring the x-ray machine or the metal detector to checking baggage or travel documents. As we mentioned, they are the first line of defense and without them, airport security would be in utter disarray.

These are just a few of the exciting career opportunities that are available at the TSA. If you would like to learn more about jobs in your area, please visit the TSA website. There you will also find online job applications and additional information about possible career paths.