Security Guards vs Transportation Security Screeners
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Security Guards and Transportation Security Screeners on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Security Guards | Transportation Security Screeners |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $38,370 | $63,360 |
| Employment | 1,241,770 | 46,340 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | About average (+0.4%) | Declining (-6.0%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 161,000 | 4,700 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Moderate · 45th pct | High · 72nd pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 34th pct · 20% of tasks | 34th pct · 20% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | Automation-leaning (51.0%) |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | No | No |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Problem Sensitivity, Active Listening, Far Vision, Oral Comprehension, Monitoring, Oral Expression, Selective Attention, Near Vision, Speech Recognition, Speaking, Deductive Reasoning, Speech Clarity, Critical Thinking, Coordination, Flexibility of Closure, Reading Comprehension, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Written Comprehension, Inductive Reasoning, Information Ordering, Active Learning, Persuasion, Service Orientation.
Specific to Security Guards
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- Telecommunications
- Administrative
- Law and Government
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
Specific to Transportation Security Screeners
- Perceptual Speed
- Category Flexibility
- Manual Dexterity
- Finger Dexterity
- Multilimb Coordination
- Writing
- Instructing
- Speed of Closure
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Electronic mail software , Word processing software .
Specific to Security Guards
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Security Guards or Transportation Security Screeners — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Security Guards vs First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
- Security Guards vs Transit and Railroad Police
- Security Guards vs Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
- Security Guards vs Parking Enforcement Workers
- Security Guards vs Public Safety Telecommunicators
- Security Guards vs Retail Loss Prevention Specialists
- Security Guards vs Correctional Officers and Jailers
- Security Guards vs Crossing Guards and Flaggers
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Security Guards vs Transportation Security Screeners." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/security-guards-vs-transportation-security-screeners
Singulariki. (2026). Security Guards vs Transportation Security Screeners. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/security-guards-vs-transportation-security-screeners
@misc{singulariki-security-guards-vs-transportation-security-screeners,
title = {Security Guards vs Transportation Security Screeners},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/security-guards-vs-transportation-security-screeners}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.