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How Much Does a Title Examiner, Abstractor, and Searcher Make?

A title examiner, abstractor, and searcher in the US earns a median salary of $58,650 a year, or $28.20 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $62,350, and the middle half earn between $47,420 and $74,810.

Median a year $58,650
Median an hour $28.20
Median a month $4,888
Average a year $62,350

Title examiner, abstractor, and searcher pay range

What title examiners, abstractors, and searchers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $38,170 $18.35
25th $47,420 $22.80
Median (50th) $58,650 $28.20
75th $74,810 $35.97
90th (top 10%) $90,830 $43.67

The median is 15% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 48,580 people work as title examiners, abstractors, and searchers in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$1,128
Every two weeks
$2,256
Twice a month
$2,444
A month
$4,888

At the median salary, before tax.

Title examiner, abstractor, and searcher salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Oregon pays title examiners, abstractors, and searchers the most, at $84,130 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Oregon $84,130 $76,930 640 After tax
California $76,950 $67,230 – After tax
Colorado $76,700 $77,600 1,400 After tax
West Virginia $75,540 $77,230 350 After tax
Alaska $74,710 $75,960 100 After tax
Washington $71,270 $66,440 930 After tax
Massachusetts $70,970 $69,100 – After tax
New York $70,040 $61,380 2,130 After tax
Nevada $69,760 $71,050 620 After tax
New Jersey $67,660 $61,930 550 After tax
New Hampshire $66,970 $62,090 – After tax
North Dakota $66,500 $59,980 140 After tax
Delaware $66,430 $65,270 140 After tax
Connecticut $66,110 $62,940 90 After tax
Texas $64,810 $60,120 6,770 After tax
Utah $64,770 $62,210 1,160 After tax
Alabama $63,910 $61,330 – After tax
Rhode Island $63,860 $63,300 120 After tax
Idaho $63,830 $61,730 640 After tax
South Dakota $63,270 $59,300 180 After tax
Pennsylvania $62,640 $52,220 2,220 After tax
New Mexico $60,450 $57,940 480 After tax
Florida $60,310 $58,450 4,800 After tax
Minnesota $60,000 $58,250 560 After tax
Kansas $59,690 $54,640 710 After tax
Ohio $58,980 $56,680 1,860 After tax
Virginia $58,850 $54,230 1,340 After tax
Arizona $58,360 $49,580 1,210 After tax
Maryland $57,650 $55,460 420 After tax
Oklahoma $57,630 $50,270 1,500 After tax
Kentucky $57,420 $52,860 270 After tax
Illinois $55,480 $49,990 1,290 After tax
Wyoming $55,180 $48,710 200 After tax
Georgia $54,810 $48,320 660 After tax
Nebraska $54,290 $48,880 360 After tax
Wisconsin $54,180 $48,070 700 After tax
Tennessee $53,760 $50,240 1,160 After tax
North Carolina $52,980 $50,500 400 After tax
Michigan $52,180 $49,540 – After tax
Missouri $52,060 $48,190 1,470 After tax
Arkansas $52,050 $47,510 650 After tax
South Carolina $50,050 $46,740 – After tax
Indiana $49,630 $46,150 – After tax
Louisiana $49,350 $38,470 390 After tax
Maine $48,300 $48,900 70 After tax
Mississippi $47,590 $47,060 150 After tax
Iowa $45,540 $46,330 400 After tax
Puerto Rico $41,570 $44,570 –

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other legal jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers” (SOC 23-2093). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a title examiner, abstractor, and searcher make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a title examiner, abstractor, and searcher is $28.20, and the average is $29.97. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $18.35 an hour and the top 10% over $43.67.

How much does a title examiner, abstractor, and searcher make a month?

At the median salary of $58,650, a title examiner, abstractor, and searcher earns about $4,888 a month before tax, or $2,256 every two weeks.

Which state pays title examiners, abstractors, and searchers the most?

Oregon has the highest average pay for a title examiner, abstractor, and searcher, at $84,130 a year. Next are California and Colorado. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a title examiner, abstractor, and searcher?

The lowest-paid 10% of title examiners, abstractors, and searchers earn less than $38,170 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $47,420. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid title examiners, abstractors, and searchers make?

The top 10% earn more than $90,830 a year, and the top 25% more than $74,810.