Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers Salary
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, title examiners, abstractors, and searchers earn $52,990 at the median, or about $25.48 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $52,486 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 51.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $53K get you in Charleston-North Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston-North Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (100.96). 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 Charleston-North Charleston
Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers pay in Charleston-North Charleston tracks closely to the national median, $53K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 50% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.96) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia | $51K | $54K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $52K | $55K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $51K | $51K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $62K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Entry-level title examiners, abstractors, and searchers (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $53K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $46K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charleston-North Charleston numbers change.
Related careers in Legal
Frequently asked questions
Can a title examiners, abstractors, and searcher afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $53K, rent takes 50% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,787/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new title examiners, abstractors, and searchers typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,059/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 87% 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 Charleston-North Charleston?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $53K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $53K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do title examiners, abstractors, and searchers make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $52,990 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,310, and experienced title examiners, abstractors, and searchers can clear $80,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $53K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,571/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 50% 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 Charleston-North Charleston?
Charleston-North Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 100.96 (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 $52,486 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.