TSA recruiting for open positions at Syracuse airport, offering signing bonuses

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) plans recruitment events at Syracuse Hancock International Airport in February and March.

The TSA wants to let job seekers know more about the job of a TSA officer and to help with the application process, per a Wednesday news release.

TSA will host a job fair at The Syracuse airport with application assistance from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Feb. 16. The event is set for the airport’s John Walsh conference room (located behind the center terminal escalators, next to the museum).

Additionally, TSA officials will staff a recruitment table from 9-11 a.m. on March 3, inside the airport on the baggage-claim level.

TSA officers screen thousands of airline travelers daily, and the agency expects to screen even more travelers regularly by summer; so, it needs additional officers to support its security mission.

Job bonus, benefits

The agency is currently offering a $2,000 hiring bonus to people who become TSA officers at the Syracuse airport. The new hires will receive $1,000 upon starting and another $1,000 at their one-year anniversary.

Due to the tight employment market in the Syracuse area, new hires also are currently receiving a 10 percent retention incentive on top of their hourly pay. Starting pay at the airport is $18.59 per hour, including the 10 percent retention incentive.

Additionally, TSA offers new employees’ opportunities for pay increases after six months, the agency said.

Benefits of working at TSA for both part-time and full-time employees include paid training, sick leave, and “strong” health-care plans, the agency said.

Applicants do not need prior experience working in security or law-enforcement fields, the TSA said. New hires will undergo extensive training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and they are paid for the hours spent training.