How to hire an escrow officer

How to hire an escrow officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step escrow officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an escrow officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new escrow officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an escrow officer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an escrow officer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An escrow officer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, escrow officers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents escrow officer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Escrow Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Escrow Officer	Loan officers evaluate, authorize, or recommend approval of loan applications for people and businesses.	$17-33
   Mortgage Consultant	A mortgage consultant is a professional who helps customers and businesses identify the best option for mortgage deals based on their financial resources. To maintain an excellent relationship with clients, mortgage consultants must possess a broad knowledge of the company's products to answer all the clients' queries and concerns... Show more	$11-30
   Loan Consultant	A Loan Consultant specializes in assessing loan applications to ensure potential clients uphold their financial obligations. Their responsibilities include conducting interviews with applicants, reviewing and verifying documentation, and evaluating financial credit and other records... Show more	$12-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • HOA
   • Title Insurance
   • Notary
   • Develop Client Relationships
   • Real Estate Transactions
   • Settlement Statements
   • Resale
   • Title Issues
   • Client Relationships
   • Real Estate Contracts
   • HUD-1
   • Title Defects
   • Escrow Transactions

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage escrow department for title insurance company.
   • Perform closing for a variety of real estate escrows types, including but not limit to REO resale and resale escrows.
   • Operate multi-line phone system and perform basic office procedures.
   • Prepare closing documents, close escrow, TRID CD, clear title.
   • Order conveyance deeds and other pertinent documents from outside vendors.
   • Prepare documents to be record with county and return to mortgage company for conveyance.

   More escrow officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the escrow officer job description is a good way to get more applicants. An escrow officer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an escrow officer in Georgia may be lower than in New Mexico, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level escrow officer. Additionally, an escrow officer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average escrow officer salary

   $50,270yearly

   $24.17 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level escrow officer salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average escrow officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$59,986	$29
   2	Washington	$56,176	$27
   3	Maryland	$54,248	$26
   4	Pennsylvania	$53,736	$26
   5	District of Columbia	$53,655	$26
   6	Montana	$52,885	$25
   7	Minnesota	$51,841	$25
   8	Texas	$50,810	$24
   9	Nevada	$50,177	$24
   10	Michigan	$49,391	$24
   11	Virginia	$48,822	$23
   12	Iowa	$47,860	$23
   13	Oklahoma	$47,186	$23
   14	Colorado	$46,327	$22
   15	Florida	$45,906	$22
   16	Wisconsin	$44,318	$21
   17	Arizona	$42,528	$20
   18	Utah	$41,836	$20
   19	Indiana	$39,244	$19

   Average escrow officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Fidelity National Financial	$81,209	$39.04	24
   2	Meritage Homes	$70,312	$33.80
   3	Realogy	$68,606	$32.98
   4	D.R. Horton	$65,125	$31.31	52
   5	Taylor Morrison	$63,737	$30.64	1
   6	Stewart Title	$62,065	$29.84	1
   7	Century Communities	$60,148	$28.92	7
   8	Realty ONE Group	$59,645	$28.68
   9	GPAC	$59,288	$28.50
   10	Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices	$58,864	$28.30	1
   11	Redfin	$57,538	$27.66
   12	Gehan Homes	$57,497	$27.64
   13	Lennar	$57,416	$27.60	66
   14	Ontario Systems	$57,338	$27.57
   15	Radian Group	$55,036	$26.46
   16	AmTrust Financial	$54,732	$26.31	3
   17	M/I Homes	$54,581	$26.24	14
   18	Century 21 Masters	$54,473	$26.19
   19	Toll Brothers	$54,439	$26.17
   20	Opus Bank	$52,864	$25.42

4. Writing an escrow officer job description

   An escrow officer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an escrow officer job description:

   Escrow officer job description example

   At Vylla, it is our mission to ensure a wonderful experience for all customers and to achieve our mission of delivering real estate to home buyers across the United States. Join our team be part of leading the disruption in the home buying industry.
   What We Offer:
   
   Comprehensive healthcare plans for you and your family. Plus matching 401k. Access to several fitness, restaurant, retail (and more!) discounts through our employee portal. Customized training programs to help you advance your career. Employee referral bonuses so you'll get the opportunity to work with friends (and get some extra cash in your pocket!). Educational Reimbursement. Sign on Bonus!
   
   Come join our amazing team and work remote from home in Southern California!
   
   The Senior Escrow Officer will be responsible for developing, enhancing and executing escrow processes. Plus, the s uccessful candidate must be able to bring a book of business of $35K+/mo. Process escrow documents in accordance with established policies and procedures. Complete real estate escrow transactions by determining requirements, clearing titles, assembling, preparing and reviewing closing documents. Direct workflow for a team of Junior Escrow Officers and an Escrow Assistants. Perform all duties in accordance with the company's policies and procedures, all US state and federal laws and regulations, wherein the company operates.
   
   What you'll do:
   
   Complete transaction documents by assembling documents, reviewing papers with parties, explaining provisions and procedures, answering questions, checking documents for completeness and accuracy and obtaining signatures. Facilitate Buyers' / Borrowers' Loan closing. Obtain loan information and loan documents from the lender(s) and comply with lenders instructions. Schedule the loan closing and contract a notary to witness the execution of the loan documents. Develop, guide and supervise a team of escrow officers and escrow assistant(s). Complete closing by advising the title company to record and file documents; preparing and distributing final closing statements and escrow documents. Close escrow account by balancing and disbursing funds. Determine escrow requirements by studying and clarifying buyer, seller and lender instructions. Audit files ensuring all documents are completed within set timeframe. Establish escrow account by depositing funds and maintaining records. Prepare transaction documents by completing forms and statements; collecting and reviewing existing documents. Complete calculations by prorating taxes, interest and other fees/costs as applicable. Comply with regulatory requirements by adhering, and enforcing adherence to requirements. Maintain records in the escrow accounting system and customer database. Update job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks and participating in professional organizations. Enhance organization reputation and capability by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments. Understand the concepts of trust accounting and insure that all escrow transactions they process are compliant with the best practices both while the escrow is open and post-closing. Perform other duties as assigned.
   
   What you'll need:
   
   High school diploma or equivalent work experience Seven (7) or more years' experience as an Escrow Officer in an escrow office with progressive responsibility Bring own book of business to Vylla required! Notary Public commission preferred Prefer candidates located in either Orange County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Ventura County or San Bernardino County.
   
   We are an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   At Vylla, it is our mission to ensure a wonderful experience for all customers and to achieve our mission of delivering real estate to home buyers across the United States.Join our team be part ofleading the disruption in the home buying industry.
   
   25 Enterprise, Aliso Viejo, CA (25), 92656, US

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right escrow officer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your escrow officer job on Zippia to find and recruit escrow officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with escrow officer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new escrow officer

   Once you've selected the best escrow officer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new escrow officer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an escrow officer?