Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for title examiners, abstractors, and searcherss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Oregon$84,130
- California$76,950
- Colorado$76,700
- West Virginia$75,540
- Alaska$74,710
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Iowa$45,540
- Mississippi$47,590
- Maine$48,300
- Louisiana$49,350
- Indiana$49,630
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $84,130 | $76,930 | $40 | +34.9% | 640 |
| 2 | California | $76,950 | $67,230 | $37 | +23.4% | — |
| 3 | Colorado | $76,700 | $77,600 | $37 | +23% | 1,400 |
| 4 | West Virginia | $75,540 | $77,230 | $36 | +21.2% | 350 |
| 5 | Alaska | $74,710 | $75,960 | $36 | +19.8% | 100 |
| 6 | Washington | $71,270 | $66,440 | $34 | +14.3% | 930 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $70,970 | $69,100 | $34 | +13.8% | — |
| 8 | New York | $70,040 | $61,380 | $34 | +12.3% | 2,130 |
| 9 | Nevada | $69,760 | $71,050 | $34 | +11.9% | 620 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $67,660 | $61,930 | $33 | +8.5% | 550 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $66,970 | $62,090 | $32 | +7.4% | — |
| 12 | North Dakota | $66,500 | $59,980 | $32 | +6.7% | 140 |
| 13 | Delaware | $66,430 | $65,270 | $32 | +6.5% | 140 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $66,110 | $62,940 | $32 | +6% | 90 |
| 15 | Texas | $64,810 | $60,120 | $31 | +3.9% | 6,770 |
| 16 | Utah | $64,770 | $62,210 | $31 | +3.9% | 1,160 |
| 17 | Alabama | $63,910 | $61,330 | $31 | +2.5% | — |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $63,860 | $63,300 | $31 | +2.4% | 120 |
| 19 | Idaho | $63,830 | $61,730 | $31 | +2.4% | 640 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $63,270 | $59,300 | $30 | +1.5% | 180 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $62,640 | $52,220 | $30 | +0.5% | 2,220 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $60,450 | $57,940 | $29 | -3% | 480 |
| 23 | Florida | $60,310 | $58,450 | $29 | -3.3% | 4,800 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $60,000 | $58,250 | $29 | -3.8% | 560 |
| 25 | Kansas | $59,690 | $54,640 | $29 | -4.3% | 710 |
| 26 | Ohio | $58,980 | $56,680 | $28 | -5.4% | 1,860 |
| 27 | Virginia | $58,850 | $54,230 | $28 | -5.6% | 1,340 |
| 28 | Arizona | $58,360 | $49,580 | $28 | -6.4% | 1,210 |
| 29 | Maryland | $57,650 | $55,460 | $28 | -7.5% | 420 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $57,630 | $50,270 | $28 | -7.6% | 1,500 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $57,420 | $52,860 | $28 | -7.9% | 270 |
| 32 | Illinois | $55,480 | $49,990 | $27 | -11% | 1,290 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $55,180 | $48,710 | $27 | -11.5% | 200 |
| 34 | Georgia | $54,810 | $48,320 | $26 | -12.1% | 660 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $54,290 | $48,880 | $26 | -12.9% | 360 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $54,180 | $48,070 | $26 | -13.1% | 700 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $53,760 | $50,240 | $26 | -13.8% | 1,160 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $52,980 | $50,500 | $25 | -15% | 400 |
| 39 | Michigan | $52,180 | $49,540 | $25 | -16.3% | — |
| 40 | Missouri | $52,060 | $48,190 | $25 | -16.5% | 1,470 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $52,050 | $47,510 | $25 | -16.5% | 650 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $50,050 | $46,740 | $24 | -19.7% | — |
| 43 | Indiana | $49,630 | $46,150 | $24 | -20.4% | — |
| 44 | Louisiana | $49,350 | $38,470 | $24 | -20.9% | 390 |
| 45 | Maine | $48,300 | $48,900 | $23 | -22.5% | 70 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $47,590 | $47,060 | $23 | -23.7% | 150 |
| 47 | Iowa | $45,540 | $46,330 | $22 | -27% | 400 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 222 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midland, TX | $112,420 | $95,920 | 140 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $94,710 | $95,550 | 130 |
| 3 | Vallejo, CA | $85,950 | $93,890 | 40 |
| 4 | Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $82,020 | $80,720 | 90 |
| 5 | Salem, OR | $80,490 | $81,760 | 30 |
| 6 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $79,630 | $79,230 | 850 |
| 7 | Morgantown, WV | $79,030 | $75,450 | 50 |
| 8 | Charleston, WV | $78,530 | $72,110 | 60 |
| 9 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $78,400 | $80,840 | 270 |
| 10 | Greeley, CO | $78,070 | $78,240 | 40 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing title examiners, abstractors, and searcherss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $100,560 | $93,980 | 590 |
| 2 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $100,560 | $93,980 | 590 |
| 3 | Utilities | $95,300 | $96,430 | 100 |
| 4 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $95,300 | $96,430 | 100 |
| 5 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $95,280 | $96,410 | 100 |
| 6 | Sector 21 - Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | $85,730 | $89,210 | 990 |
| 7 | Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $81,180 | $76,670 | 400 |
| 8 | Support Activities for Mining | $81,160 | $81,990 | 390 |
| 9 | Support Activities for Mining | $81,160 | $81,990 | 390 |
| 10 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $77,310 | $78,740 | 210 |
| 11 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $77,310 | $78,740 | 210 |
| 12 | Solar Electric Power Generation | $77,040 | $79,240 | 50 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do title examiners, abstractors, and searchers make in the U.S.?
The median title examiners, abstractors, and searchers salary in the United States is $58,650 per year (mean $62,350), and about 80% earn between $38,170 and $90,830.
How much do title examiners, abstractors, and searchers make per hour?
Roughly $30 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $62,350 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays title examiners, abstractors, and searchers the most?
Oregon has the highest average pay for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers at $84,130 per year (median $76,930).
What is the job outlook for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers?
Employment is projected to change +2% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 5,400 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.