Best programs to become a title examiner
You do not need a college degree to become a title examiner. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Legal Assistant/Paralegal (IPEDS completions).
1 college program at 462 schools trains title examiners, abstractors, and searchers, graduating 9,640 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $58,650 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
Search real estate records, examine titles, or summarize pertinent legal or insurance documents or details for a variety of purposes. May compile lists of mortgages, contracts, and other instruments pertaining to titles by searching public and private records for law firms, real estate agencies, or title insurance companies.
Best programs to study to become a title examiner
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 22.0302 | 9,640 | 100.0% | 462 | $37,542 | $25,166 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder program | 243 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 40% | — | — |
| 2 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 221 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 3 | Center for Advanced Legal Studies Houston, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 212 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 62% | $10,957 | — |
| 4 | Bryant & Stratton College - Online Orchard Park, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 206 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 23% | $14,394 | — |
| 5 | Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 131 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 31% | — | — |
| 6 | Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN Public · 1 feeder program | 122 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 50% | — | — |
| 7 | University of San Diego San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 120 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 84% | $26,035 | 52% |
| 8 | East Los Angeles College Monterey Park, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 104 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 37% | — | — |
| 9 | Houston City College Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 98 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 17% | — | — |
| 10 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH Public · 1 feeder program | 89 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 75% | — | 85% |
| 11 | American River College Sacramento, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 87 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 37% | — | — |
| 12 | Post University Waterbury, CT Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 86 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 25% | $14,659 | — |
| 13 | San Diego Miramar College San Diego, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 85 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 48% | — | — |
| 14 | Rasmussen University - Minnesota St. Cloud, MN Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 80 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 53% | $19,944 | — |
| 15 | Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 79 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 61% | $35,483 | 97% |
| 16 | Fresno City College Fresno, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 76 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 24% | — | — |
| 17 | Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 74 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 48% | — | — |
| 18 | West Los Angeles College Culver City, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 73 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 28% | — | — |
| 19 | Crestpoint University Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 72 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 33% | $15,215 | — |
| 20 | Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL Public · 1 feeder program | 72 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 57% | — | 63% |
| 21 | Hillsborough College Tampa, FL Public · 1 feeder program | 72 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 34% | — | — |
| 22 | National University San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 72 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 43% | $31,817 | — |
| 23 | American Public University System Charles Town, WV Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 68 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 57% | $10,199 | — |
| 24 | Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ Public · 1 feeder program | 65 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 14% | — | — |
| 25 | Bryan University Tempe, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 62 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 41% | $22,877 | — |
| 26 | Dallas College Dallas, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 62 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 32% | — | — |
| 27 | Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 62 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 21% | — | — |
| 28 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 62 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 73% | $33,454 | 82% |
| 29 | Clayton State University Morrow, GA Public · 1 feeder program | 61 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 40% | — | 68% |
| 30 | De Anza College Cupertino, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 61 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 68% | — | — |
| 31 | Front Range Community College Westminster, CO Public · 1 feeder program | 60 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 35% | — | — |
| 32 | Coastline Community College Fountain Valley, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 59 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 34% | — | — |
| 33 | College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 58 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 45% | — | — |
| 34 | Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI Public · 1 feeder program | 55 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 67% | — | 83% |
| 35 | Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC Public · 1 feeder program | 55 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 21% | — | — |
| 36 | Merritt College Oakland, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 54 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 26% | — | — |
| 37 | Mt San Antonio College Walnut, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 53 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 45% | — | — |
| 38 | Cerritos College Norwalk, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 52 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 31% | — | — |
| 39 | Portland Community College Portland, OR Public · 1 feeder program | 52 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 18% | — | — |
| 40 | South University - Savannah Online Savannah, GA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 52 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 7% | $28,691 | — |
| 41 | Los Angeles City College Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 51 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 29% | — | — |
| 42 | Edmonds College Lynnwood, WA Public · 1 feeder program | 50 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 29% | — | — |
| 43 | American National University Salem, VA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 49 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 33% | $20,666 | — |
| 44 | George Washington University Washington, DC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 49 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 84% | $29,789 | 47% |
| 45 | Irvine Valley College Irvine, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 49 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 57% | — | — |
| 46 | St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL Public · 1 feeder program | 49 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 38% | — | — |
| 47 | Valencia College Orlando, FL Public · 1 feeder program | 49 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 48% | — | — |
| 48 | Connecticut State Community College New Britain, CT Public · 1 feeder program | 48 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 24% | — | — |
| 49 | Metropolitan Community College Area Omaha, NE Public · 1 feeder program | 48 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 29% | — | — |
| 50 | Madisonville Community College Madisonville, KY Public · 1 feeder program | 47 | Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 49% | — | — |
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What title examiners, abstractors, and searchers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $67,230 | — | — | 46 | 1,773 |
| Texas | $60,120 | 6,770 | 1.54× | 32 | 914 |
| New York | $61,380 | 2,130 | 0.70× | 30 | 638 |
| Florida | $58,450 | 4,800 | 1.55× | 26 | 633 |
| Virginia | $54,230 | 1,340 | 1.04× | 17 | 459 |
| Indiana | $46,150 | — | — | 7 | 426 |
| Illinois | $49,990 | 1,290 | 0.68× | 23 | 406 |
| North Carolina | $50,500 | 400 | 0.26× | 22 | 318 |
| Arizona | $49,580 | 1,210 | 1.19× | 9 | 305 |
| Ohio | $56,680 | 1,860 | 1.07× | 16 | 286 |
| Georgia | $48,320 | 660 | 0.43× | 17 | 267 |
| Minnesota | $58,250 | 560 | 0.61× | 9 | 213 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,220 | 2,220 | 1.17× | 17 | 210 |
| South Carolina | $46,740 | — | — | 9 | 185 |
| Michigan | $49,540 | — | — | 12 | 183 |
| Maryland | $55,460 | 420 | 0.49× | 11 | 177 |
| Connecticut | $62,940 | 90 | 0.16× | 5 | 166 |
| Wisconsin | $48,070 | 700 | 0.76× | 12 | 164 |
| Colorado | $77,600 | 1,400 | 1.56× | 7 | 163 |
| New Jersey | $61,930 | 550 | 0.41× | 14 | 137 |
| Washington | $66,440 | 930 | 0.83× | 7 | 131 |
| Kentucky | $52,860 | 270 | 0.44× | 5 | 126 |
| Mississippi | $47,060 | 150 | 0.42× | 11 | 105 |
| Massachusetts | $69,100 | — | — | 10 | 104 |
| Missouri | $48,190 | 1,470 | 1.60× | 7 | 97 |
| West Virginia | $77,230 | 350 | 1.61× | 6 | 93 |
| Louisiana | $38,470 | 390 | 0.64× | 6 | 83 |
| Tennessee | $50,240 | 1,160 | 1.14× | 7 | 78 |
| Iowa | $46,330 | 400 | 0.83× | 5 | 72 |
| Nevadamoderate | $71,050 | 620 | 1.28× | 3 | 66 |
| Oregonlimited | $76,930 | 640 | 1.05× | 2 | 60 |
| Oklahomamoderate | $50,270 | 1,500 | 2.81× | 4 | 59 |
| Alabama | $61,330 | — | — | 5 | 58 |
| Kansasmoderate | $54,640 | 710 | 1.58× | 4 | 56 |
| Mainelimited | $48,900 | 70 | 0.34× | 2 | 54 |
| Nebraskalimited | $48,880 | 360 | 1.11× | 2 | 52 |
| Utahmoderate | $62,210 | 1,160 | 2.15× | 4 | 42 |
| Arkansasmoderate | $47,510 | 650 | 1.59× | 3 | 35 |
| Delawarelimited | $65,270 | 140 | 0.93× | 2 | 35 |
| New Mexico | $57,940 | 480 | 1.78× | 5 | 26 |
| Rhode Islandmoderate | $63,300 | 120 | 0.77× | 3 | 24 |
| Hawaiilimited | — | 90 | 0.47× | 1 | 21 |
| New Hampshiremoderate | $62,090 | — | — | 3 | 21 |
| Alaskamoderate | $75,960 | 100 | 1.02× | 3 | 19 |
| Wyominglimited | $48,710 | 200 | 2.32× | 2 | 17 |
| Idahomoderate | $61,730 | 640 | 2.40× | 3 | 15 |
| South Dakotalimited | $59,300 | 180 | 1.28× | 1 | 5 |
| North Dakotalimited | $59,980 | 140 | 1.06× | 1 | 3 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Examine documentation such as mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, plat books, maps, contracts, and agreements to verify factors such as properties' legal descriptions, ownership, or restrictions.
- Examine individual titles to determine if restrictions, such as delinquent taxes, will affect titles and limit property use.
- Prepare reports describing any title encumbrances encountered during searching activities and outlining actions needed to clear titles.
- Copy or summarize recorded documents, such as mortgages, trust deeds, and contracts, that affect property titles.
- Verify accuracy and completeness of land-related documents accepted for registration, preparing rejection notices when documents are not acceptable.
- Prepare lists of all legal instruments applying to a specific piece of land and the buildings on it.
- Read search requests to ascertain types of title evidence required and to obtain descriptions of properties and names of involved parties.
- Obtain maps or drawings delineating properties from company title plants, county surveyors, or assessors' offices.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening3.8
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Speaking3.6
- Writing3.4
- Monitoring3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Learning Strategies2.4
Knowledge areas
- English Language3.6
- Law and Government3.5
- Administrative3.1
- Customer and Personal Service3.1
- Computers and Electronics3.0
- Mathematics2.6
Abilities
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Oral Expression4.0
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Written Expression3.8
- Near Vision3.5
- Deductive Reasoning3.5
Core activities
- Getting Information4.7
- Documenting/Recording Information4.6
- Working with Computers4.5
- Processing Information4.4
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.3
- Analyzing Data or Information4.3
How to get in
How to become a title examiner
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 22.0302Legal Assistant/Paralegal
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a title examiner?+
You do not need a college degree to become a title examiner. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Legal Assistant/Paralegal (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a title examiner?+
The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Legal Assistant/Paralegal (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 program to this job, which graduates about 9,640 people a year.
How much do title examiners, abstractors, and searchers earn?+
The median is $58,650 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $38,170 at the 10th percentile to $90,830 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for title examiners, abstractors, and searchers growing?+
BLS projects a +2.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 5,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
462 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 program that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do title examiners, abstractors, and searchers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Abstractor, Title Officer, Title Examiner, Title Searcher among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 23-2093.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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