From National Public Radio (via today's ATA Smartbrief):

With salaries starting at $25,000 a year, TSA screeners are among the lowest-paid federal workers, according to National Public Radio, a fact that may contribute to high turnover rates. Two unions are vying to sign up TSA workers in hopes of securing a more favorable contract, but agency officials say turnover rates are improving and injury rates are being addressed. "Our officers have extremely difficult jobs," says Lee Kair, who heads up security operations at TSA. "And they are very, very professional in what they do, and they're very trained and they're skilled at how to interact with people."

TSA Officers Among Lowest Paid Of Federal Workers : NPR

Love this part:

Then there are the salaries, which start at about $25,000 a year, one of the lowest rates in the federal government. Anthony (deleted), a 29-year-old father of two, says not only is it not easy raising a family on what he earns, but it also affects what he sees as the mission of transportation security officers.

"This is a very, very important job. You're dealing with people's lives every single day, and if you have an officer sitting there worrying about how they're going to pay their rent, or whether their car is going to be taken from them because they can't pay their car note, or how their children are going to eat ... then you're not going to have a happy officer there thinking about the mission," (deleted) says. "The mission comes first."


I'm playing a violin and getting out my tissues right now.