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Salary Ranges for Patent Agents and Patent Attorneys

Everyone wants to know how much they'll be making, but unfortunately, that's a difficult question to answer. While the answer to this question are often inflated, we've done our best to provide you with accurate pay ranges.

Patent Agent Salary

According to research on PayScale.com (compiled from the year 2005), the average pay for a Patent Agent (that's an individual without a law degree who has passed the Patent Bar Exam) is right at $74,900 a year. Please keep in mind that this is the average pay; you will likely start out with lower pay for your first few years.

However, if you contrast the average of $74,900 with the average pay for those in science and engineering fields, you will see that a career as a Patent Agent can be more lucrative.

The following is a chart showing the average pay in science and engineering fields (Source: Payscale.com 2005)...

Career Field	Median Salary/Year
Mechanical Engineer	$56,000
Electrical Engineer	$61,755
Project Engineer	$57,210
Civil Engineer	$50,000
Software Engineer	$60,000
Manufacturing Engineer	$53,000
Environmental Engineer	$48,895
Clinical Laboratory Scientist	$50,610

Keep in mind that if you choose to take the Patent Bar exam and become a Patent Agent, you may decide at a later date to attend law school. Once you meet the criteria for an attorney (graduation from law school, passing the bar exam, etc...), then you will be able to change your status with the USPTO from Patent Agent to Patent Attorney.

Patent Attorney Salary

Research on PayScale.com shows that the median salary of a Patent Attorney in 2005 was $100,000 a year. According to statistics by the American Intellectual Property Law Association, many partners earn well over $200,000 a year with top Patent Attorneys claiming salaries well into the $300,000 range.

Obviously, it will take time to reach these top salaries, but the opportunities for growth and wealth abound for Patent Agents and Patent Attorneys in the U.S.

Get insider salary info: Get Vault's exclusive salary info for detailed salary information for top employers.

 

Please note that we are not making any income claims. These salary ranges are only based on general research. We urge you to research salary ranges on your own taking into account your own personal factors. 

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