U.S. AIRPORTS NATIONWIDE — Transportation Security Officers have been working without pay for five weeks due to a partial government shutdown. The roughly 50,000 officers who interact with passengers daily received their first unpaid paycheck in mid-March after Department of Homeland Security funding lapsed on February 14.

Department of Homeland Security funding lapsed on February 14 due to an impasse over immigration policy. At least 366 Transportation Security Officers have quit since the shutdown began, according to Department of Homeland Security figures released on March 17.

Callout rates have surged at major airports across the country. The callout rate for Transportation Security Officers in Atlanta reached nearly 40% in a recent report. Callout rates were 41% at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, 30% at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and 36% at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans.

About 10% of Transportation Security Officers nationwide are calling out during the partial government shutdown. More than 300 Transportation Security Officers have left the agency since mid-February.

The staff shortages have created delays for travelers. Some travelers at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport who arrived three hours before their flights still missed their scheduled 6 a.m. departures. Travelers at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston have experienced wait times as long as three hours in recent reports.

Most Transportation Security Officers start at about $40,000 annually in base salary. As they gain experience, Transportation Security Officers average between $60,000 and $75,000 in annual pay. Transportation Security Officers at the bottom pay band earn about $35,000 annually in base salary before locality and bonus pay.

Transportation Security Officers in about 50 higher-cost-of-living cities receive additional locality pay, with the largest locality adjustment of 46.3% in San Francisco. Most U.S. cities receive a locality pay adjustment averaging 16.8% in 2026, which raises the annual salary of a Band D, Step 1 Transportation Security Officer to around $40,000.

"As we get into next week and they're about to miss another payment, this is going to look like child's play, what's happening right now," said Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary. "That's untenable for a law enforcement agent who's just trying to do the good work of the American people, getting folks who broke our laws out of the country," Duffy said.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is advising passengers to arrive at least two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights. CNN's online tracker listed wait times of 150 minutes at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and 67 minutes at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.