What are typical patent attorney salaries?

Do some companies pay a lot more for this position than others? What does a top earner make in this field?

What skills should you learn to increase your salary?

Top salary right now is $160k coming out of law school. By far, the best asset you can have is an electrical engineering degree.

"Top salary right now is $160k coming out of law school?" Sorry but this comment is misleading. Please understand that this salary might be accurate if we are talking patent litigation but not prosecution (drafting patent applications and responding to official actions fromt he USPTO).

That is, if you recently graduated from a top tier law school, and have an undergraduate degree in political science (or other social science majors) with a high GPA, you can attempt to obtain a position as a patent litigator. An engineering degree might be helpful -- as long as you don't have too much patent prosecution experience. Also, USPTO membership (reg. #) is not requires and would likely prevent you from obtaining the job. The work is fun, billable hours are easy to meet and firm's respect you and you get to travel alot to depositions and hearings.

On the other hand, if you are looking to write patent applications as a patent prosecution attorney you MUST have an engineering background (in this market likely an MS) or Phd if your background is chemistry or Biology, USPTO membership is required and you must have a respectable GPA. Salaries for those straight out of law school range between $75k - $95k. Those with 5 years or less experience get salaries in the range between $110k to $125k in this market. Those with 5 or more years of experience without portable businss are now jobless in this market.

In other words, if you look back at all the hard work you put in studying engineering or chem/bio (long weekends in the library) to maintain a 3.0 while your classmates who majored in political science and never cracked a book and partied all weekend (and easily maintained a 3.5+ GPA) -- well now you know who the real moron is!!!

Curious to see what your credentials are, your statements seem to involve pulling numbers out of the air without any real basis.

John in Bloomfield, New Jersey said: "Top salary right now is $160k coming out of law school?" Sorry but this comment is misleading. Please understand that this salary might be accurate if we are talking patent litigation but not prosecution (drafting patent applications and responding to official actions fromt he USPTO).

That is, if you recently graduated from a top tier law school, and have an undergraduate degree in political science (or other social science majors) with a high GPA, you can attempt to obtain a position as a patent litigator. An engineering degree might be helpful -- as long as you don't have too much patent prosecution experience. Also, USPTO membership (reg. #) is not requires and would likely prevent you from obtaining the job. The work is fun, billable hours are easy to meet and firm's respect you and you get to travel alot to depositions and hearings.

On the other hand, if you are looking to write patent applications as a patent prosecution attorney you MUST have an engineering background (in this market likely an MS) or Phd if your background is chemistry or Biology, USPTO membership is required and you must have a respectable GPA. Salaries for those straight out of law school range between $75k - $95k. Those with 5 years or less experience get salaries in the range between $110k to $125k in this market. Those with 5 or more years of experience without portable businss are now jobless in this market.

In other words, if you look back at all the hard work you put in studying engineering or chem/bio (long weekends in the library) to maintain a 3.0 while your classmates who majored in political science and never cracked a book and partied all weekend (and easily maintained a 3.5+ GPA) -- well now you know who the real moron is!!!

The numbers are derived from my experience as a patent attorney in the market and from multiple conversations with colleagues with similar backgrounds.

I kindly remind you that this is a forum which asked the question "[w]hat are typical patent attorney salaries?" I found the $160k salary cited in the previous post misleadng therefore NOT typical. Prehaps I should have left out the last paragraph (as maybe I invited your comment Plex). In other words, I did not mean to suggest that the previous poster was incorrect or out of touch (however the post is over a year old) -- I found that the information previously posted needed clarification.

Alternatively, I could have merely commented that Pat's "statement[] seem to involve pulling numbers out of the air without any real basis." And I could have invited a subsequent personal attack by asking Pat for personal creditials. Instead, I wanted to merely add to a public discussion of the typical salaries of a patent attorney.

Plex, instead of interjecting a comment on the numbers in my post could you instead share your expereince in the market. What salaries have you found in the current market as a patent attorney?

My post is responsive to John from Jersey. I am a "real" example that may place hope in those looking at a career in patent prosecution. I received a BS and MS in electrical engineering. I worked as an engineer (integrated circuits) for about six years before making a switch to IP law. I quit my engineering job to take a job with a very small law firm. My technical background enabled me to be hired w/o any legal experience. I received training on how to write patent applications and draft office action responses. I took and passed the patent bar after one year working in IP law. I started law school immediately thereafter. I continued working for a law firm doing patent work while attending law school at night. went to school for 3.5 years, and graduated. I went to a Tier 3 school, and was in top 50% of class. grades were not great, but okay (approx. 3.0 GPA). However, my experience earned before and during law school enabled me to be noticed by potential big law employers. now i work for an amlaw 100 firm, and continually working hard to keep developing professional within the firm. no gimmicks, no luck, just hard work, ambition, and a plan. Also, my starting salary for doing patent prosecution work is at or above $145k, which is the firm's standard starting salary for new associates. so there is no difference whether you work on patent prosecution or patent litigation. good luck on your search.

Hey, Patent Prosecution Guy. Thanks for the info and the encouraging message. I have a few questions about this career myself.

I'm currently considering a future in patent prosecution as well. However, I will only have a bachelors degree and it will be in software engineering.

1) Do you think there's as much opportunity in patent prosecution for a software engineer as an electrical engineer?

2) Would it be better for me to take a job in engineering and gain technical experience prior to entering a law career? Or would I be better off entering the law field directly after receiving my bachelors? (my age is 30+)

3) Would it be better to work as a patent agent as you did while attending law school at night? Or would it be better to attend a highly ranked law school full time during the day so as to concentrate on getting a high GPA?

Thanks again for providing the details of your experience. I'd be grateful for further feedback from you. As well as any others with knowledge in this field. I wish you all the best.