The Transportation Security Administration is putting the word out that it needs more officers at Syracuse’s Hancock Airport.
TSA Upstate New York Federal Security Director Bart Johnson said his work with the TSA has felt extremely meaningful.
"I just really get a great deal of satisfaction of knowing that I'm contributing in my own small way to something much larger: national security," he said.
The push to find new officers comes at a time of tremendous growth at Hancock. The TSA said in October, officers were processing nearly 6,000 passengers a day. Those numbers are expected to increase.
Hancock Airport's Chief Commercial Officer Jason Mehl said the airport is also drawing attention with the opening of two new lounges in 2023: an escape lounge that opened last summer and a brand new automated retail lounge.
"(You’ll see) a lot of very nice seating areas, counter space for those with a laptop, they want to plug into, get a cup of coffee, a bowl of hot Ramen, a sandwich, a salad," Mehl said.
The TSA is hiring both part-time and full-time workers.
Johnson said starting salaries for full-time TSA officers start at around $40,000. Then, they increase to around $60,000 after two years of work.
"If they're looking for a job, they want to do something different, they want to do something that matters, apply to be a TSA officer," he said.
