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Salary comparison

Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers vs. Paralegals and Legal Assistants: Who Earns More?

Paralegals and Legal Assistantss out-earn Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searcherss by $4K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searcherss land at $58,650 and Paralegals and Legal Assistantss at $62,890. The education gap is real: title examiners, abstractors, and searcher programs typically require doctoral or professional degree, while paralegals and legal assistant programs require associate's degree. Top-paying state for Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searcherss is Colorado ($77,600); for Paralegals and Legal Assistantss it's District of Columbia ($89,750).

Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Median salary
$58,650
$62,890
Hourly rate
$28.2/hr
$30.24/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$38,170
$44,740
Senior level (90th %)
$90,830
$101,500
Education required
Doctoral or professional degree
Associate's degree
U.S. employment
48,580
392,880
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Legal
Legal
Top-paying state
Colorado
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers median pay.

State
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Colorado
$77,600
$78,190
Alaska
$75,960
$68,700
Nevada
$71,050
$64,680
Massachusetts
$69,100
$77,640
California
$67,230
$77,390
Washington
$66,440
$79,400
Connecticut
$62,940
$63,820
New Jersey
$61,930
$71,500
New York
$61,380
$68,410
Minnesota
$58,250
$75,570
Maryland
$55,460
$65,640
Virginia
$54,230
$63,990
Pennsylvania
$52,220
$63,370
Illinois
$49,990
$63,670
Nebraska
$48,880
$63,250

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searcherss or Paralegals and Legal Assistantss?

Paralegals and Legal Assistantss earn more nationally. The median is $58,650 for Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searcherss versus $62,890 for Paralegals and Legal Assistantss, a difference of $4K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers or Paralegals and Legal Assistants?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers or Paralegals and Legal Assistants?

Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers typically requires doctoral or professional degree. Paralegals and Legal Assistants requires associate's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searcherss get paid the most?

Colorado is the top-paying state for Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searcherss at $77,600/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers vs. Paralegals and Legal Assistants pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Colorado, Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searcherss earn $77,600 vs. $78,190 for Paralegals and Legal Assistantss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers salary breakdownView →Full Paralegals and Legal Assistants salary breakdownView →Best cities for Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searcherss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Paralegals and Legal Assistantss by take-home payExplore →How to become a title examiners, abstractors, and searchersGuide →How to become a paralegals and legal assistantsGuide →