Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers salary by state
What Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searcherss do
Typical education: High School Diploma
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.
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.
Verify accuracy and completeness of land-related documents accepted for registration, preparing rejection notices when documents are not acceptable.
Top skills:Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingWritingTime Management
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers pay by experience level
Entry level$39,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$49,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$60,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$77,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$94,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+2%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
5,400
projected openings per year
Growing slower than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers salary by industry
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
20,950 workers
$61,500
Legal Services
19,260 workers
$61,500
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities
14,040 workers
$70,000
Insurance Carriers
13,390 workers
$71,000
Real Estate
3,220 workers
$71,000
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities
1,630 workers
$56,000
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
1,510 workers
$48,000
Automobile Dealers
1,490 workers
$48,000
Nondepository Credit Intermediation
1,220 workers
$55,000
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
1,020 workers
$66,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers pays 52% below the average across 1,680 roles in the Legal job family (family average $135,500).
