Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers Salary
Legal Occupations · 49K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$58,650
Median hourly
$28
Average annual
$62,350
Typical range
$38,170–$90,830
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers is $58,650 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $28 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Search real estate records, examine titles, or summarize pertinent legal or insurance documents or details for a variety of purposes. May compile lists of mortgages, contracts, and other instruments pertaining to titles by searching public and private records for law firms, real estate agencies, or title insurance companies..
Most earn between $38,170 and $90,830 a year. There are roughly 49K people employed as title examiners, abstractors, and searchers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers.
- Hourly
- $28.20
- Daily
- $226
- Weekly
- $1,128
- Bi-weekly
- $2,256
- Monthly
- $4,888
- Annual
- $58,650
$58,650 a year is around the 50th percentile for Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searcherss. The median is $58,650.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Colorado$77,600
- 2West Virginia$77,230
- 3Oregon$76,930
- 4Alaska$75,960
- 5Nevada$71,050
- 6Massachusetts$69,100
- 7California$67,230
- 8Washington$66,440
- 9Delaware$65,270
- 10Rhode Island$63,300
- 11Connecticut$62,940
- 12Utah$62,210
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Midland, TX$112,420
- 2San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$94,710
- 3Vallejo, CA$85,950
- 4Salem, OR$80,490
- 5Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$79,630
- 6Morgantown, WV$79,030
- 7Charleston, WV$78,530
- 8Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$78,400
- 9Greeley, CO$78,070
- 10Bakersfield-Delano, CA$77,360
- 11Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$76,970
- 12Reno, NV$76,690
Related job titles
Employers advertise Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers roles under these titles.
- Abstract Clerk
- Abstract Searcher
- Abstract Writer
- Abstractor
- Advisory Title Officer
- Automotive Title Clerk
- Closing Specialist
- Commercial Title Examiner
- Data Abstractor
- Land and Estates Officer
- Land Title Examiner
- Lease Examiner
- Legal Instruments Examiner
- License and Title Clerk
- Lien Searcher
- Real Estate Transaction Coordinator
Related occupations
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants$62,890
- Court, Municipal, and License Clerks$48,700
- File Clerks$43,600
- Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants$55,570
- Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners$72,420
- Compliance Officers$80,730
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks$49,230
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks$50,080
What a Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers does
- Examine documentation such as mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, plat books, maps, contracts, and agreements to verify factors such as properties' legal descriptions, ownership, or restrictions.
- Examine individual titles to determine if restrictions, such as delinquent taxes, will affect titles and limit property use.
- Copy or summarize recorded documents, such as mortgages, trust deeds, and contracts, that affect property titles.
- Verify accuracy and completeness of land-related documents accepted for registration, preparing rejection notices when documents are not acceptable.
- Prepare lists of all legal instruments applying to a specific piece of land and the buildings on it.
- Read search requests to ascertain types of title evidence required and to obtain descriptions of properties and names of involved parties.
- Confer with realtors, lending institution personnel, buyers, sellers, contractors, surveyors, and courthouse personnel to exchange title-related information or to resolve problems.
- Enter into record-keeping systems appropriate data needed to create new title records or to update existing ones.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers make?
- The median annual wage for Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers is $58,650 ($28 per hour). Pay ranges from about $38,170 at the 10th percentile to $90,830 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $62,350, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searcherss the most?
- Colorado has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $77,600.
- Is Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 49K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers do?
- Examine documentation such as mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, plat books, maps, contracts, and agreements to verify factors such as properties' legal descriptions, ownership, or restrictions.; Examine individual titles to determine if restrictions, such as delinquent taxes, will affect titles and limit property use.; Copy or summarize recorded documents, such as mortgages, trust deeds, and contracts, that affect property titles..