Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers in the U.S. is $58,650 ($28.20 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $58,650
- Mean annual wage
- $62,350
- Median hourly wage
- $28.20
- Employment
- 48,580
48,580 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38,170 | $18.35 |
| 25th percentile | $47,420 | $22.80 |
| Median (50th) | $58,650 | $28.20 |
| 75th percentile | $74,810 | $35.97 |
| 90th percentile | $90,830 | $43.67 |
Highest-paying states for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $77,600 | 1,400 |
| West Virginia | $77,230 | 350 |
| Oregon | $76,930 | 640 |
| Alaska | $75,960 | 100 |
| Nevada | $71,050 | 620 |
| Massachusetts | $69,100 | — |
| California | $67,230 | — |
| Washington | $66,440 | 930 |
| Delaware | $65,270 | 140 |
| Rhode Island | $63,300 | 120 |
Lowest-paying states
- Louisiana: $38,470 median annual wage
- Indiana: $46,150 median annual wage
- Iowa: $46,330 median annual wage
- South Carolina: $46,740 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $47,060 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Prepare reports describing any title encumbrances encountered during searching activities and outlining actions needed to clear titles.
- Copy or summarize recorded documents, such as mortgages, trust deeds, and contracts, that affect property titles.
- Obtain maps or drawings delineating properties from company title plants, county surveyors, or assessors' offices.
- Confer with realtors, lending institution personnel, buyers, sellers, contractors, surveyors, and courthouse personnel to exchange title-related information or to resolve problems.
- Retrieve and examine real estate closing files for accuracy and to ensure that information included is recorded and executed according to regulations.
- Prepare lists of all legal instruments applying to a specific piece of land and the buildings on it.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 1.8% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 22.8% |
| Some college, no degree | 24.6% |
| Associate's degree | 11.3% |
| Bachelor's degree | 29.1% |
| Master's degree | 5.6% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 4.8% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.