Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers (SOC 23-2093) earn a median $58,650 a year ($28.20 an hour) in the United States, with 48,580 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Colorado.
What title examiners, abstractors, and searchers do
Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers research property records to establish who owns a piece of real estate and whether anything affects its ownership or sale. Typical tasks include examining documents such as mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, plat books, maps, and contracts to establish a title's history, checking individual titles for restrictions, such as unpaid taxes, that could affect a sale or loan, preparing reports that describe any encumbrances found in the search, and copying or summarizing recorded documents such as mortgages and trust deeds. They also verify the accuracy and completeness of land-related documents accepted for registration, prepare lists of all legal instruments that apply to a particular piece of land and the buildings on it, and obtain maps or drawings of properties. Their work differs from real estate appraisers, who value property, from paralegals, who assist lawyers more broadly, and from title closers and escrow officers, who handle the closing of a transaction.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a high school diploma or equivalent.
Also called: Abstractor, Abstract Clerk, Abstract Searcher, Abstract Writer, Advisory Title Officer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.35 | $22.80 | $28.20 | $35.97 | $43.67 | $29.97 | 48,580 |
| Annual | $38,170 | $47,420 | $58,650 | $74,810 | $90,830 | $62,350 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where title examiners, abstractors, and searchers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $24.08 | $28.58 | $37.31 | $42.27 | $51.27 | $36.88 | 1,400 | 0.49 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $50,080 | $59,450 | $77,600 | $87,920 | $106,640 | $76,700 | ||||
| West Virginia | Hourly | $24.34 | $29.78 | $37.13 | $41.94 | $47.37 | $36.32 | 350 | 0.50 | 1.61 |
| Annual | $50,620 | $61,940 | $77,230 | $87,240 | $98,530 | $75,540 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $29.30 | $31.45 | $36.99 | $46.88 | $53.20 | $40.45 | 640 | 0.33 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $60,940 | $65,420 | $76,930 | $97,510 | $110,660 | $84,130 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $22.46 | $28.29 | $36.52 | $41.79 | $48.23 | $35.92 | 100 | 0.32 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $46,710 | $58,830 | $75,960 | $86,930 | $100,320 | $74,710 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $22.68 | $28.65 | $34.16 | $38.82 | $45.35 | $33.54 | 620 | 0.40 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $47,160 | $59,590 | $71,050 | $80,750 | $94,320 | $69,760 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $18.42 | $23.49 | $28.91 | $38.28 | $46.39 | $31.16 | 6,770 | 0.48 | 1.54 |
| Annual | $38,320 | $48,860 | $60,120 | $79,610 | $96,480 | $64,810 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $19.32 | $23.24 | $28.10 | $33.72 | $38.08 | $29.00 | 4,800 | 0.48 | 1.55 |
| Annual | $40,190 | $48,340 | $58,450 | $70,140 | $79,210 | $60,310 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $16.34 | $21.69 | $25.11 | $35.87 | $45.96 | $30.11 | 2,220 | 0.37 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $33,980 | $45,120 | $52,220 | $74,610 | $95,610 | $62,640 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $24.35 | $27.38 | $29.51 | $37.70 | $45.14 | $33.68 | 2,130 | 0.22 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $50,640 | $56,950 | $61,380 | $78,410 | $93,890 | $70,040 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $19.56 | $22.48 | $27.25 | $32.21 | $37.90 | $28.36 | 1,860 | 0.34 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $40,680 | $46,760 | $56,680 | $66,990 | $78,830 | $58,980 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Midland, TX | Hourly | $22.89 | $30.76 | $54.05 | $57.76 | $62.69 | $46.11 | 140 | 1.14 | 3.65 |
| Annual | $47,600 | $63,980 | $112,420 | $120,140 | $130,390 | $95,920 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $30.26 | $34.16 | $45.53 | $55.11 | $63.41 | $45.94 | 130 | 0.12 | 0.38 |
| Annual | $62,950 | $71,040 | $94,710 | $114,640 | $131,890 | $95,550 | ||||
| Vallejo, CA | Hourly | $30.03 | $35.25 | $41.32 | $53.45 | $60.25 | $45.14 | 40 | 0.26 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $62,470 | $73,320 | $85,950 | $111,170 | $125,310 | $93,890 | ||||
| Salem, OR | Hourly | $29.95 | $36.76 | $38.70 | $47.23 | $49.57 | $39.31 | 30 | 0.17 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $62,300 | $76,470 | $80,490 | $98,240 | $103,110 | $81,760 | ||||
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | Hourly | $24.94 | $29.81 | $38.28 | $42.83 | $53.17 | $38.09 | 850 | 0.53 | 1.69 |
| Annual | $51,880 | $62,000 | $79,630 | $89,090 | $110,590 | $79,230 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $20.53 | $24.02 | $29.58 | $39.28 | $40.59 | $31.66 | 2,140 | 0.53 | 1.69 |
| Annual | $42,700 | $49,960 | $61,530 | $81,710 | $84,430 | $65,860 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $26.98 | $27.38 | $29.57 | $38.57 | $45.31 | $34.41 | 1,830 | 0.19 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $56,120 | $56,950 | $61,500 | $80,230 | $94,250 | $71,580 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $21.99 | $24.48 | $30.51 | $39.03 | $48.12 | $33.74 | 1,730 | 0.53 | 1.68 |
| Annual | $45,750 | $50,910 | $63,470 | $81,180 | $100,090 | $70,180 | ||||
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | Hourly | $19.32 | $22.70 | $27.35 | $29.73 | $37.21 | $27.80 | 1,220 | 0.84 | 2.69 |
| Annual | $40,180 | $47,220 | $56,880 | $61,830 | $77,400 | $57,820 | ||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | $18.17 | $22.43 | $24.53 | $29.98 | $37.41 | $26.53 | 1,160 | 0.61 | 1.94 |
| Annual | $37,800 | $46,650 | $51,030 | $62,360 | $77,810 | $55,180 | ||||
Top industries employing title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
Legal Services employ 39.6% of title examiners, abstractors, and searchers nationally (19,260 jobs) at a median $56,530 a year ($27.18 an hour), followed by Insurance Carriers (27.6%) and Real Estate (6.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Services NAICS 541100 | 19,260 | 39.6% | $56,530 | $27.18 |
| Insurance Carriers NAICS 524100 | 13,390 | 27.6% | $62,940 | $30.26 |
| Real Estate NAICS 531000 | 3,220 | 6.6% | $59,280 | $28.50 |
| Automobile Dealers NAICS 441100 | 1,490 | 3.1% | $45,020 | $21.64 |
| Nondepository Credit Intermediation NAICS 522200 | 1,220 | 2.5% | $49,100 | $23.61 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (48,580). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $47,310 for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers in May 2021 and $58,650 in May 2025, with employment of 51,040 and 48,580.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $47,310 | $22.74 | 51,040 |
| May 2022 | $50,490 | $24.28 | 53,680 |
| May 2023 | $53,550 | $25.74 | 49,760 |
| May 2024 | $54,980 | $26.43 | 48,170 |
| May 2025 | $58,650 | $28.20 | 48,580 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
48 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado profile | $37.31 | $77,600 | $50,080 | $106,640 | 1,400 | 0.49 | 1.56 |
| 2 | West Virginia profile | $37.13 | $77,230 | $50,620 | $98,530 | 350 | 0.50 | 1.61 |
| 3 | Oregon profile | $36.99 | $76,930 | $60,940 | $110,660 | 640 | 0.33 | 1.05 |
| 4 | Alaska profile | $36.52 | $75,960 | $46,710 | $100,320 | 100 | 0.32 | 1.02 |
| 5 | Nevada profile | $34.16 | $71,050 | $47,160 | $94,320 | 620 | 0.40 | 1.28 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $33.22 | $69,100 | $52,990 | $95,690 | ** | ** | ** |
| 7 | California profile | $32.32 | $67,230 | $51,500 | $115,040 | ** | ** | ** |
| 8 | Washington profile | $31.94 | $66,440 | $48,830 | $97,280 | 930 | 0.26 | 0.83 |
| 9 | Delaware profile | $31.38 | $65,270 | $49,060 | $82,090 | 140 | 0.29 | 0.93 |
| 10 | Rhode Island profile | $30.44 | $63,300 | $48,650 | $84,410 | 120 | 0.24 | 0.77 |
| 11 | Connecticut profile | $30.26 | $62,940 | $46,790 | $97,390 | 90 | 0.05 | 0.16 |
| 12 | Utah profile | $29.91 | $62,210 | $40,830 | $86,430 | 1,160 | 0.67 | 2.15 |
| 13 | New Hampshire profile | $29.85 | $62,090 | $48,580 | $82,390 | ** | ** | ** |
| 14 | New Jersey profile | $29.78 | $61,930 | $48,640 | $90,930 | 550 | 0.13 | 0.41 |
| 15 | Idaho profile | $29.68 | $61,730 | $45,460 | $91,720 | 640 | 0.75 | 2.40 |
| 16 | New York profile | $29.51 | $61,380 | $50,640 | $93,890 | 2,130 | 0.22 | 0.70 |
| 17 | Alabama profile | $29.49 | $61,330 | $45,360 | $87,440 | ** | ** | ** |
| 18 | Texas profile | $28.91 | $60,120 | $38,320 | $96,480 | 6,770 | 0.48 | 1.54 |
| 19 | North Dakota profile | $28.84 | $59,980 | $48,760 | $99,820 | 140 | 0.33 | 1.06 |
| 20 | South Dakota profile | $28.51 | $59,300 | $45,760 | $97,610 | 180 | 0.40 | 1.28 |
| 21 | Florida profile | $28.10 | $58,450 | $40,190 | $79,210 | 4,800 | 0.48 | 1.55 |
| 22 | Minnesota profile | $28.01 | $58,250 | $49,240 | $77,530 | 560 | 0.19 | 0.61 |
| 23 | New Mexico profile | $27.85 | $57,940 | $40,730 | $82,780 | 480 | 0.56 | 1.78 |
| 24 | Ohio profile | $27.25 | $56,680 | $40,680 | $78,830 | 1,860 | 0.34 | 1.07 |
| 25 | Maryland profile | $26.66 | $55,460 | $37,730 | $74,380 | 420 | 0.15 | 0.49 |
| 26 | Kansas profile | $26.27 | $54,640 | $33,790 | $91,270 | 710 | 0.49 | 1.58 |
| 27 | Virginia profile | $26.07 | $54,230 | $39,090 | $80,830 | 1,340 | 0.33 | 1.04 |
| 28 | Kentucky profile | $25.41 | $52,860 | $38,180 | $82,300 | 270 | 0.14 | 0.44 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania profile | $25.11 | $52,220 | $33,980 | $95,610 | 2,220 | 0.37 | 1.17 |
| 30 | North Carolina profile | $24.28 | $50,500 | $33,280 | $78,210 | 400 | 0.08 | 0.26 |
| 31 | Oklahoma profile | $24.17 | $50,270 | $35,760 | $94,330 | 1,500 | 0.88 | 2.81 |
| 32 | Tennessee profile | $24.16 | $50,240 | $35,880 | $78,300 | 1,160 | 0.36 | 1.14 |
| 33 | Illinois profile | $24.03 | $49,990 | $38,150 | $74,640 | 1,290 | 0.21 | 0.68 |
| 34 | Arizona profile | $23.84 | $49,580 | $39,780 | $83,900 | 1,210 | 0.37 | 1.19 |
| 35 | Michigan profile | $23.82 | $49,540 | $34,240 | $72,500 | ** | ** | ** |
| 36 | Maine profile | $23.51 | $48,900 | $32,620 | $62,400 | 70 | 0.11 | 0.34 |
| 37 | Nebraska profile | $23.50 | $48,880 | $43,910 | $68,460 | 360 | 0.35 | 1.11 |
| 38 | Wyoming profile | $23.42 | $48,710 | $36,580 | $77,920 | 200 | 0.72 | 2.32 |
| 39 | Georgia profile | $23.23 | $48,320 | $24,590 | $84,040 | 660 | 0.14 | 0.43 |
| 40 | Missouri profile | $23.17 | $48,190 | $36,520 | $76,510 | 1,470 | 0.50 | 1.60 |
| 41 | Wisconsin profile | $23.11 | $48,070 | $39,050 | $72,220 | 700 | 0.24 | 0.76 |
| 42 | Arkansas profile | $22.84 | $47,510 | $34,060 | $71,470 | 650 | 0.50 | 1.59 |
| 43 | Mississippi profile | $22.62 | $47,060 | $33,800 | $58,200 | 150 | 0.13 | 0.42 |
| 44 | South Carolina profile | $22.47 | $46,740 | $36,300 | $77,400 | ** | ** | ** |
| 45 | Iowa profile | $22.27 | $46,330 | $28,440 | $60,620 | 400 | 0.26 | 0.83 |
| 46 | Indiana profile | $22.19 | $46,150 | $35,570 | $71,260 | ** | ** | ** |
| 47 | Louisiana profile | $18.50 | $38,470 | $32,990 | $70,940 | 390 | 0.20 | 0.64 |
| – | Hawaii profile | * | * | * | * | 90 | 0.15 | 0.47 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (23-2090), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Legal Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 23-2093 Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 23-2093, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 23-2093.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.