SOC 33-9093 · Salinas, CA metro

Transportation Security Screeners Salary in Salinas, CA

The average salary for transportation security screeners in Salinas, California is $73,510 a year ($35.34 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $78,940: half of the 40 people in this job in the Salinas, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 14% more than the U.S. average for this job ($64,310).

$73,510average per year

$35.34 / hourMedian $78,940Take-home ≈ $57,736

  • $50K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $79KMedian
  • $84K75th
  • $84K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

40people in this job
+14%vs U.S. average
#2 of 10California metros
109cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Transportation Security Screeners pay range in Salinas

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,420 a year or less, while the top 10% make $84,030 or more. The middle half of transportation security screeners in Salinas earn between $62,440 and $84,030.

  • $50K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $79KMedian
  • $84K75th
  • $84K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$73,510$6,126$35.34
Median$78,940$6,578$37.95
Entry level (25th percentile)$62,440$5,203$30.02
Experienced (75th percentile)$84,030$7,002$40.40

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Transportation Security Screeners pay in Salinas vs. California and the U.S.

Transportation security screeners in Salinas earn 7% more than the California average ($68,660) and 14% more than the U.S. average ($64,310). At the median the gap is +18% against the U.S. median of $66,770.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Salinas$73,510$78,940$50,420$84,03040
California$68,660$73,610$46,070$81,4705,410
United States$64,310$66,770$44,700$78,35050,290

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Transportation Security Screeners salary after taxes in Salinas

On the average salary of $73,510, a single filer in Salinas takes home about $57,736 a year, or $4,811 a month and $2,221 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Salinas a good place for transportation security screeners? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Salinas area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 109.0), so the average $73,510 buys what about $67,414 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Salinas ($47,380). A typical home costs $850,461, or 11.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $73,510 is worth in another city

Transportation Security Screeners salary in other California cities

Salinas ranks 2nd of 10 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($76,000).

All Transportation Security Screeners salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for transportation security screeners

Allentown, PA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($78,620).

Transportation Security Screeners salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Transportation Security Screeners in Salinas, CA.

Transportation Security Screeners salary in Salinas: questions

How much do transportation security screeners make an hour in Salinas?

$35.34 an hour on average, and $37.95 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level transportation security screeners salary in Salinas?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,420 a year and the 25th percentile is $62,440, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the transportation security screeners take-home pay in Salinas?

About $57,736 a year ($4,811 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $73,510. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do transportation security screeners earn more in Salinas than elsewhere?

The average here is 14% more than the U.S. average for this job ($64,310).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 33-9093; area Salinas, CA (41500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.65, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.65).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.