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Aviation Security Screener

Public Sector

Conduct screening of passengers, baggage, or cargo to ensure compliance with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regulations. May operate basic security equipment such as x-ray machines and hand wands at screening checkpoints.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Public Safety & DefenceAviation

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Inspect carry-on items, using x-ray viewing equipment, to determine whether items contain objects that warrant further investigation.
  2. 2Search carry-on or checked baggage by hand when it is suspected to contain prohibited items such as weapons.
  3. 3View images of checked bags and cargo, using remote screening equipment, and alert baggage screeners or handlers to any possible problems.
  4. 4Check passengers' tickets to ensure that they are valid, and to determine whether passengers have designations that require special handling, such as providing photo identification.
  5. 5Test baggage for any explosive materials, using equipment such as explosive detection machines or chemical swab systems.
  6. 6Perform pat-down or hand-held wand searches of passengers who have triggered machine alarms, who are unable to pass through metal detectors, or who have been randomly identified for such searches.
  7. 7Notify supervisors or other appropriate personnel when security breaches occur.
  8. 8Send checked baggage through automated screening machines, and set bags aside for searching or rescreening as indicated by equipment.
  9. 9Decide whether baggage that triggers alarms should be searched or should be allowed to pass through.
  10. 10Locate suspicious bags pictured in printouts sent from remote monitoring areas, and set these bags aside for inspection.
  11. 11Follow those who breach security until police or other security personnel arrive to apprehend them.
  12. 12Inform other screeners when baggage should not be opened because it might contain explosives.
  13. 13Inspect checked baggage for signs of tampering.
  14. 14Ask passengers to remove shoes and divest themselves of metal objects prior to walking through metal detectors.
  15. 15Close entry areas following security breaches or reopen areas after receiving notification that the airport is secure.
  16. 16Challenge suspicious people, requesting their badges and asking what their business is in a particular areas.
  17. 17Patrol work areas to detect any suspicious items.
  18. 18Contact police directly in cases of urgent security issues, using phones or two-way radios.
  19. 19Record information about any baggage that sets off alarms in monitoring equipment.
  20. 20Watch for potentially dangerous persons whose pictures are posted at checkpoints.
  21. 21Contact leads or supervisors to discuss objects of concern that are not on prohibited object lists.
  22. 22Confiscate dangerous items and hazardous materials found in opened bags and turn them over to airlines for disposal.
  23. 23Monitor passenger flow through screening checkpoints to ensure order and efficiency.
  24. 24Inform passengers of how to mail prohibited items to themselves, or confiscate these items.
  25. 25Provide directions and respond to passenger inquiries.
  26. 26Direct passengers to areas where they can pick up their baggage after screening is complete.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • TSO
  • Screener
  • Bag Checker
  • TSA Screener
  • Airport Screener
  • Baggage Screener
  • Security Officer
  • Baggage Inspector
  • Security Screener
  • Biometric Screener

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
History (Sejarah)Draws directly on Law and Government — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Arabic LanguageDraws directly on Foreign Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Public Safety and Security76%
  • Customer and Personal Service72%
  • English Language71%

    English

  • Law and Government55%

    History (Sejarah)

  • Education and Training53%
  • Administration and Management49%

    BusinessEconomics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time spent sittingA little
  • Time spent standingMost of the time

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

4%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Firefighter (Bomba)

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Transportation Security Screeners

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org