Pros
Benefits. Good place for x military and reservist since they have to work with your schedule. 25% of employees military or former military. Bad for the rest of us trying to get another federal job in a different agency. Good pay for students and individuals without college degree. They work with your college schedule. There are exceptional TSO's with diverse backgrounds in previous businesses and highly educated. Good reference for next job with city, county, state, etc. Good place for pre-retirement since 5 years using Federal Health Insurance plus 62 lets you retire with ability to continue with Federal Health Insurance at a discount. Most passengers are agreeable and appreciative of what we do.
Cons
Next to no opportunity for advancement. Not many are able to use job as a stepping stone to other federal agencies. That's a bag of goods someone sold TSO's. Management all the way down treat and speak to employees disrespectfully. Stupid policies that are so antiquated and backward thinking. TSA is at bottom of the list as far as employee satisfaction. Poor morale and sinking. NO GS scale! That's how they keep reminding us we are step children ready to be cut off. Pay is awful when you consider what we do, our purpose, and the potential harm we expose ourselves to. Let's see, our pay starts at the minimum wage 14 states just passed. Pension stinks. We've had so many freezes and cut backs over the past 7 years we're underpaid. Ten years service will get you 10% of highest 3 year average pay. $315 month or so. After paying your health insurance/dental, maybe you'll get $75 a month. Better have your own Roth going since Thrift Savings Plan hasn't been doing well. No opportunity to take leave since calendar filled for the rest of the year minus a handful of Tues. and Weds in Oct/Nov. This is early April...People will lose leave when they can't use it. Mismanagement of checkpoints restricting employees from breaks based on "operational needs"...yeah, its more like poor operation. Management doesn't know how to hire, train, schedule, rotate, and manage flow of passengers at checkpoints. They promote individuals to LTSO's and STSO's with relatively no training. Favoritism still exists when it comes to TSO's receiving bonus though. TSA still hires lazy people and those working the system. No programs fostering employee development/advancement or assistance in obtaining advanced degrees. Job intellectually unchallenging but if you're a worker, it can be physically challenging especially if checkpoint mismanaged. Bidding process for schedule once a year, crazy. Single day bids at 2 a.m. in the morning, in person, insane!! Airlines efficiently bid every month on line with no problems. The government spends on everything else so don't you think it is time to spend on improving the efficiency of running this business? But don't expect appreciation.....its a job, not a career.