Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers Salary
In Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, title examiners, abstractors, and searchers earn $52,000 at the median, or about $25 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.94), that's roughly $53,094 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,713/month, about 50.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk’s Regional Price Parity (97.94). 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Pay for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,713/month, which is 49.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for title examiners, abstractors, and searcherss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers in metros near Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $53K | $55K |
| Roanoke | $50K | $53K |
| Lynchburg | $50K | $56K |
| Charlottesville | $60K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
Entry-level title examiners, abstractors, and searchers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $40K 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk numbers change.
Related careers in Legal
Frequently asked questions
Can a title examiners, abstractors, and searcher afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 49.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,713/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new title examiners, abstractors, and searchers typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,401/month. At HUD’s $1,713/month FMR, rent would take 71% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $52K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk compare to the national average for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do title examiners, abstractors, and searchers make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?
The median is $52,000 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,020, and experienced title examiners, abstractors, and searchers can clear $80,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,446/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,713/month, which eats 49.7% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has a Regional Price Parity of 97.94 (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 $53,094 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.