TSA agent departures have increased, but exact quit rates vary by year and region

The Transportation Security Administration does not publish a single "quit rate" that applies across all airports or all years. What we know comes from congressional testimony, Government Accountability Office reports, and Freedom of Information Act requests—and the picture is uneven. In some years and locations, TSA has reported higher-than-average departures; in others, retention has improved. The agency tracks separations (which include retirements, medical discharges, and resignations) but does not always separate these categories in public reporting.

Between 2021 and 2023, TSA experienced staffing pressure during a period of rising travel demand. Congressional hearings in 2022 and 2023 highlighted concerns about agent burnout, long hours, and pay relative to other federal security roles. However, "quit" specifically—voluntary resignation—is harder to pin down than total separations. TSA publishes annual workforce data, but the breakdowns vary in detail from year to year, and regional airports report their own staffing challenges independently.

Key Takeaways

  • TSA does not publish a single national quit rate; departures are reported as total separations, which include retirements and medical discharges alongside resignations.
  • Congressional testimony and GAO reports from 2022–2023 documented staffing shortages at major airports during peak travel periods, driven partly by agent departures.
  • Pay, mandatory overtime, and shift scheduling have been cited by Congress and employee representatives as factors in departures, though TSA has raised wages for some positions since 2022.
  • Staffing levels and turnover vary significantly by airport and region; a shortage at one major hub does not mean all airports are equally affected.
  • TSA publishes annual workforce reports that include separation data, but the detail and format change year to year, making year-to-year comparison difficult.

Where the numbers come from and why they are incomplete

TSA publishes an annual workforce report that includes total separations—the number of employees who left for any reason. This number is public, but it lumps together retirements (which are planned), medical discharges, and voluntary resignations. A reader looking for "how many quit" has to dig into congressional testimony or FOIA requests to separate voluntary departures from the rest.

The Government Accountability Office has issued reports on TSA staffing, most notably in response to congressional requests during 2022 and 2023. These reports confirm that some airports experienced staffing gaps but do not always break down the cause of each departure. Congressional hearings have included testimony from TSA leadership and employee unions, which do cite resignation numbers but often for specific airports or time periods rather than the whole agency.

Regional airports and major hubs like Atlanta, Dallas, and Los Angeles report their own staffing challenges to local media and Congress. A shortage at one airport may reflect local conditions—pay differences, cost of living, or management decisions—rather than a nationwide trend. This makes a single national figure misleading.

What Congress and the GAO have documented about departures

In 2022 and 2023, congressional committees heard testimony that TSA faced staffing shortages during peak travel periods. The agency reported that some airports were operating below authorized staffing levels, which led to longer security lines and mandatory overtime for remaining staff. Employee representatives and union officials testified that pay, shift scheduling, and burnout were driving agents to leave for other federal agencies or private security work.

TSA responded by raising starting pay for Transportation Security Officers in 2022 and again in 2023, moving the entry-level wage from around $33,000 to $41,000 annually in some locations. The agency also expanded hiring and adjusted scheduling at high-traffic airports. These changes were intended to slow departures and attract new candidates, though the long-term effect on retention is still being measured.

The GAO noted in reports that TSA's ability to retain staff depends partly on factors outside the agency's control—federal hiring freezes, competition from other agencies, and local cost of living. An agent in a high-cost city like San Francisco or New York may leave even at higher pay if the wage does not keep pace with rent and living expenses.

Pay, scheduling, and burnout as reasons for departures

Congressional testimony and employee interviews have consistently cited three factors in agent departures: pay relative to other federal security work, mandatory overtime during peak travel, and the physical and mental demands of the job. TSA agents work in high-stress environments, often standing for eight-hour shifts, managing frustrated travelers, and making security decisions under time pressure.

Before 2022, entry-level TSA agents earned less than some other federal law enforcement roles with similar training requirements. The wage increase that year brought the starting salary closer to comparable positions, but agents in expensive cities still reported that the pay did not match local living costs. Mandatory overtime, while necessary during busy travel periods, contributed to fatigue and burnout.

Union representatives have also pointed to staffing shortages as a cause of departures: when an airport is understaffed, remaining agents work longer hours and more frequent overtime, which accelerates burnout and makes leaving more attractive. This creates a cycle in which departures worsen staffing, which increases pressure on remaining staff, which drives more departures.

How departures affect security line wait times and airport operations

When TSA operates below authorized staffing levels, the most visible effect is longer security lines during peak travel hours. Airports with chronic understaffing have reported wait times exceeding 30 minutes during morning rush periods, which can cause passengers to miss flights. TSA has responded by opening additional screening lanes when staffing allows and by adjusting shift schedules to concentrate staff during peak hours.

Departures also affect training and mentoring. When experienced agents leave, newer staff lose access to on-the-job guidance, which can slow their development and increase errors. TSA has invested in training programs to address this, but the effect of high turnover on screening quality is difficult to measure and is not regularly reported publicly.

Some airports have managed staffing challenges better than others. Airports with higher pay (due to local cost-of-living adjustments), better scheduling practices, and lower prior turnover have reported more stable staffing. This suggests that departures are not inevitable but can be influenced by management decisions and resource allocation.

Regional variation in staffing and departures

TSA staffing challenges are not uniform across the country. Major hubs like Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Los Angeles have reported significant staffing gaps, while smaller regional airports have sometimes maintained closer-to-authorized staffing levels. Cost of living, local job market competition, and airport management practices all play a role.

Airports in high-cost regions like California and the Northeast have reported higher turnover, partly because federal pay scales do not always adjust quickly to local living costs. An agent earning $45,000 annually in San Francisco faces very different financial pressures than an agent earning the same amount in a lower-cost region. Some airports have requested local pay adjustments from TSA leadership, with mixed results.

Smaller airports sometimes have lower turnover because agents face fewer scheduling demands and less burnout, even if the base pay is the same. This suggests that scheduling and workload, not just compensation, drive departures.

What TSA has done to address staffing and retention

Since 2022, TSA has taken several steps to reduce departures and improve retention. The agency raised starting pay for Transportation Security Officers, expanded recruitment efforts, and adjusted scheduling at high-traffic airports to reduce mandatory overtime. TSA has also invested in employee wellness programs and mental health resources, recognizing that burnout is a factor in departures.

The agency has also worked with Congress to streamline hiring and remove bureaucratic delays that slow the onboarding of new staff. Faster hiring can reduce the staffing gap while new agents are being trained, which in turn reduces pressure on existing staff and may slow departures.

However, TSA's ability to retain staff is limited by federal pay scales and hiring rules. The agency cannot unilaterally raise pay beyond what Congress authorizes, and it competes with other federal agencies for the same pool of candidates. Long-term retention will likely depend on sustained congressional support for higher pay and better scheduling flexibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the exact TSA quit rate?

TSA does not publish a specific quit or resignation rate. The agency reports total separations (retirements, medical discharges, and resignations combined) in annual workforce reports. To find the resignation-only number, you would need to file a FOIA request or review congressional testimony about specific airports or time periods.

Have TSA agents been quitting more in recent years?

Congressional testimony and GAO reports from 2022–2023 documented staffing shortages at major airports, suggesting departures increased during that period. However, TSA has not released a detailed year-by-year comparison of resignation rates. Staffing levels have improved at some airports since pay increases took effect in 2022.

Why do TSA agents quit?

Congressional testimony and employee interviews cite pay (especially in high-cost cities), mandatory overtime, and burnout as primary reasons. The job involves standing for long shifts, managing stressed travelers, and making security decisions under time pressure. When airports are understaffed, remaining agents work longer hours, which accelerates departures.

Has TSA raised pay to keep agents from quitting?

Yes. TSA raised starting pay for Transportation Security Officers in 2022 and again in 2023, moving entry-level wages from around $33,000 to $41,000 annually in some locations. The agency has also expanded hiring and adjusted scheduling at high-traffic airports. However, agents in expensive cities report that the pay still does not match local living costs.

Which airports have the worst staffing shortages?

Major hubs like Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Los Angeles have reported significant staffing gaps. Airports in high-cost regions like California and the Northeast have reported higher turnover. Smaller regional airports have sometimes maintained more stable staffing, suggesting that workload and local conditions matter as much as base pay.