Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
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.
Also called: Abstractor · Commercial Title Examiner · Searcher · Title Abstractor · Title Agent · Title Examiner
Median pay (national)
$54,980
$36,710–$87,240 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
48,170
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+2%
~5,400 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $87,240 versus $36,710 at the bottom 10% — 2.4x. The median of $54,980 leaves roughly 59% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +2% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 5,400 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 47 states with released data, California pays the most for this role (median $77,780, +41% vs the national median), while Louisiana sits lowest at $36,780 — a 111% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- 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.
- Prepare lists of all legal instruments applying to a specific piece of land and the buildings on it.
- Read search requests to ascertain types of title evidence required and to obtain descriptions of properties and names of involved parties.
- Confer with realtors, lending institution personnel, buyers, sellers, contractors, surveyors, and courthouse personnel to exchange title-related information or to resolve problems.
- Enter into record-keeping systems appropriate data needed to create new title records or to update existing ones.
- Obtain maps or drawings delineating properties from company title plants, county surveyors, or assessors' offices.
- Retrieve and examine real estate closing files for accuracy and to ensure that information included is recorded and executed according to regulations.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Google Workspace software
- Microsoft Windows
- Salesforce software
- Contact management software
- Data Trace Title IQ
- File management software
- First American Data Tree Parcel IQ
- GATORS ANYWHERE
- Geographic information system GIS databases
- Landtitle USA
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Property Insight TitlePoint
- PropertyInfo SureClose
Knowledge areas
- English Language
- Law and Government
- Administrative
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
- Geography