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Patent Attorney - Federal Salaries of 2021
Pay Rates for "Patent Attorney"
How much does a Patent Attorney in the federal government get paid? $176,007.06* *Based on the 2021 average.Patent Attorney was the 260th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2021, with 384 employed. The most common payscale was the administratively determined rates, not elsewhere specified payscale.
In 2021, the Patent and Trademark Office hired the most employees titled Patent Attorney, with an average salary of $179,875.
Government Patent Attorney jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. Remember that the starting and maximum yearly pay listed above reflect base pay only - your actual salary will be higher based on the Locality Pay Adjustment for the area in which you work.
This occupation includes positions involved with performing professional legal, scientific, and technical work concerning patents including rendering opinions on validity and infringement of patents, negotiation of patent licenses, settlement of patent claims, negotiation of patent clauses in contracts, providing professional legal advice to contracting officers and other procurement personnel on patent matters, and the preparation and/or presentation of briefs and arguments before the Patent Office or before the Federal Courts. Also included in this occupation are positions which, in addition to the foregoing, may be involved with performing similar professional legal functions regarding trademark. The work of this occupation requires training equivalent to that represented by graduation (with a degree in one of the scientific or engineering disciplines) from an accredited college or university, in addition to a degree from a recognized law school and admission to the bar.
Agencies that have hired a Patent Attorney
| Agency | Employees Hired | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Patent and Trademark Office | 311 | $179,874.58 |
| Department of Energy | 25 | $154,808.20 |
| Offices, Boards and Divisions | 20 | $157,051.50 |
| Langley Research Center | 4 | $146,465.50 |
| Goddard Space Flight Center | 4 | $172,975.00 |
| Headquarters, Nasa | 4 | $155,053.25 |
| Office of the General Counsel (Department of Agriculture) | 3 | $155,522.67 |
| Ames Research Center | 3 | $172,046.33 |
| Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center | 2 | $172,917.00 |
| John F. Kennedy Space Center | 2 | $141,366.50 |
| John Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field | 1 | $172,800.00 |
| George C. Marshall Space Flight Center | 1 | $173,102.00 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | 1 | $159,502.00 |
| Office of the Solicitor (Department of Interior) | 1 | $153,737.00 |
| Office of the Secretary (Department of Commerce) | 1 | $168,600.00 |
| Office of the Inspector General (Department of Commerce) | 1 | $191,500.00 |
Patent Attorney Pay Distribution
The average pay for a Patent Attorney is $176,007.06. The highest paid Patent Attorney made $199,300 in 2021.
Common Patent Attorney Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Patent Attorney Employees |
|---|---|
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified | 235 |
| GS - General Schedule | 125 |
| SL - Senior Level Positions | 12 |
| ES - Senior Executive Service | 7 |
| NQ - Employees In The National Nuclear Secuirty Administration's Professional, Technical, And Admin Career Path | 5 |
| Category: | N/A |
| Occupation Family: | 1200 COPYRIGHT, PATENT, AND TRADEMARK GROUP |
Average Patent Attorney Pay Trend from 2004 to 2021
In 2004, the average pay for a Patent Attorney was $134,658. Since then, the average pay has increased to $176,007 in 2021.
Data Sources
The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.
Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.
The series code of this occupation is 1222.