Pros
While job tasks are routine, you have the opportunity to improve people's lives by providing quality security for air travel while providing positive customer service by respecting and serving all types of people. -A college degree is not required, yet pay and benefits are significantly more than minimum wage at over 16/hr. -HEALTH INSURANCE AND EMPLOYER MATCHING FOR RETIREMENT SAVING -AFGE Union Protection under the Collective Bargaining Agreement protects you, the TSO from unjustified management actions and creates a more positive workplace. -The work schedule may be rigid, but you will always know your exact schedule. -The hiring and interview process is very easy. TSA will accept nearly anyone who can hold a normal conversation. -No special skills are necessary to be newly hired, all job training is provided on paid-time. -Health and Safety are taken seriously. You will have paid time off for sick days and doctors appointments and for the birth of a child. -A safe workplace free from hazards. It may become noisy at times, but you will have a heated/air conditioned place to work. -This is a good job for people who like to stay moving around. You are standing for 30 minutes, followed by sitting for 30 minutes with walking in between on a daily basis. No stooping at a desk for 8 hrs straight. -You will have some excellent co-workers who could be at any other government agency if they wanted, but for one reason or another they are at TSA. Many will have good career advice. -If you lack a college degree, but want to serve your country in some manner but do not qualify for military service, you should give TSA a try.
Cons
-Promotion is relatively stagnant -Requests for time off is seniority based on a bid system at the beginning of the year. -New hires will almost certainly be working weekend/night/early AM shifts for a few years. -TSA is EXCEPTED SERVICE, not General Schedule. This is an important distinction. You are not entitled to the same yearly pay increases, benefits, and promotional potential as nearly all other federal employees. Additionally, other government agencies still consider you a member of the public when applying, as you are NOT in the Competitive Service like a General Schedule Employee is. For this reason, it may not be a great stepping stone to another federal agency if you already have a college degree, as the receiving agency ( HHS, DOJ, USDA, DOD, NRCS) may not consider your TSA experience to be worth much of anything. This will require you to start at the bottom regardless of your accomplishments as a TSO, LTSO, or STSO. This may lead you to feel you wasted your time working at TSA, versus spending the same time developing new skills or job training, or academic degrees that would lead to a higher paying career in government or private industry.