Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers Salary
In Charleston, WV, title examiners, abstractors, and searchers earn $78,530 at the median, or about $37.76 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.72), which stretches that salary to about $88,514 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,036/month, or 20.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $79K get you in Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (88.72). 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
Charleston sits well above the national pay line for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers, local pay runs about 34% higher than the U.S. median of $59K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,036/month, 20.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Charleston offers a genuinely strong financial position for title examiners, abstractors, and searcherss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers in metros near Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Morgantown | $79K | $85K |
| Huntington-Ashland | $60K | $68K |
| Wheeling | $68K | $77K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $56K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston, WV
Entry-level title examiners, abstractors, and searchers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $62K 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 numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a title examiners, abstractors, and searcher afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston?
Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 20.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,036/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers in Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new title examiners, abstractors, and searchers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,223/month. At HUD’s $1,036/month FMR, rent would take 47% 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?
Local pay is 34% above the national median — $79K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Charleston compare to the national average for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers?
Charleston pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +34%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $89K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do title examiners, abstractors, and searchers make in Charleston, WV?
The median is $78,530 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,050, and experienced title examiners, abstractors, and searchers can clear $99,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,042/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,036/month, which eats 20.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a title examiners, abstractors, and searchers salary go in Charleston?
Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 88.72 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median title examiners, abstractors, and searchers salary is worth about $88,514 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.