Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers Salary
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, title examiners, abstractors, and searchers earn $68,400 at the median, or about $32.89 an hour. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $96K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.27), so that salary is closer to $63,175 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,941/month, about 65.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $68K get you in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boston-Cambridge-Newton’s Regional Price Parity (108.27). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
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What this looks like in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Boston-Cambridge-Newton sits well above the national pay line for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,941/month, which is 66.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.27), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers in metros near Boston-Cambridge-Newton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester-Nashua | $57K | $54K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $62K | $55K |
| Providence-Warwick | $64K | $62K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $57K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Entry-level title examiners, abstractors, and searchers (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $68K. Top earners bring in $96K or more, a $43K spread from bottom to top.
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $78K | +32% | 1,400 |
| West Virginia | $77K | +32% | 350 |
| Oregon | $77K | +31% | 640 |
| Alaska | $76K | +30% | 100 |
| Nevada | $71K | +21% | 620 |
| Massachusetts | $69K | +18% | N/A |
| California | $67K | +15% | N/A |
| Washington | $66K | +13% | 930 |
| Delaware | $65K | +11% | 140 |
| Rhode Island | $63K | +8% | 120 |
| Connecticut | $63K | +7% | 90 |
| Utah | $62K | +6% | 1,160 |
| New Hampshire | $62K | +6% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $62K | +6% | 550 |
| Idaho | $62K | +5% | 640 |
| New York | $61K | +5% | 2,130 |
| Alabama | $61K | +5% | N/A |
| Texas | $60K | +3% | 6,770 |
| North Dakota | $60K | +2% | 140 |
| South Dakota | $59K | +1% | 180 |
| Florida | $58K | -0% | 4,800 |
| Minnesota | $58K | -1% | 560 |
| New Mexico | $58K | -1% | 480 |
| Ohio | $57K | -3% | 1,860 |
| Maryland | $55K | -5% | 420 |
| Kansas | $55K | -7% | 710 |
| Virginia | $54K | -8% | 1,340 |
| Kentucky | $53K | -10% | 270 |
| Pennsylvania | $52K | -11% | 2,220 |
| North Carolina | $51K | -14% | 400 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | -14% | 1,500 |
| Tennessee | $50K | -14% | 1,160 |
| Illinois | $50K | -15% | 1,290 |
| Arizona | $50K | -15% | 1,210 |
| Michigan | $50K | -16% | N/A |
| Maine | $49K | -17% | 70 |
| Nebraska | $49K | -17% | 360 |
| Wyoming | $49K | -17% | 200 |
| Georgia | $48K | -18% | 660 |
| Missouri | $48K | -18% | 1,470 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | -18% | 700 |
| Arkansas | $48K | -19% | 650 |
| Mississippi | $47K | -20% | 150 |
| South Carolina | $47K | -20% | N/A |
| Iowa | $46K | -21% | 400 |
| Indiana | $46K | -21% | N/A |
| Louisiana | $38K | -34% | 390 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track title examiners, abstractors, and searchers salary changes
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Related careers in Legal
Frequently asked questions
Can a title examiners, abstractors, and searcher afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $68K, rent takes 66.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,941/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new title examiners, abstractors, and searchers typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,185/month. At HUD’s $2,941/month FMR, rent would take 92% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is title examiners, abstractors, and searcher a high-paying job in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $68K here vs. $59K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 8% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Boston-Cambridge-Newton compare to the national average for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton pays $68K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.27), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do title examiners, abstractors, and searchers make in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The median is $68,400 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,080, and experienced title examiners, abstractors, and searchers can clear $95,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $68K enough to live in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,424/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,941/month, which eats 66.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a title examiners, abstractors, and searchers salary go in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton has a Regional Price Parity of 108.27 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median title examiners, abstractors, and searchers salary is worth about $63,175 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do title examiners, abstractors, and searchers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.