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Best states for an intellectual property lawyer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like intellectual property lawyers are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for intellectual property lawyers aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for intellectual property lawyer jobs.
In order to get you the best states for intellectual property lawyers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that District of Columbia is the best state for intellectual property lawyer jobs, whereas Mississippi is the worst.
10 best states for intellectual property lawyers in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total intellectual property lawyer jobs: 46 Average annual salary: $126,619 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $212,000 Location Quotient: 2.26
2. New York
Total intellectual property lawyer jobs: 201 Average annual salary: $126,128 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $211,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
3. Massachusetts
Total intellectual property lawyer jobs: 123 Average annual salary: $138,719 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $226,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
4. California
Total intellectual property lawyer jobs: 499 Average annual salary: $98,606 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
5. Maryland
Total intellectual property lawyer jobs: 85 Average annual salary: $99,574 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
6. New Jersey
Total intellectual property lawyer jobs: 62 Average annual salary: $109,827 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 0.64
7. Colorado
Total intellectual property lawyer jobs: 110 Average annual salary: $90,329 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.53
8. Rhode Island
Total intellectual property lawyer jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $101,641 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 0.54
9. Virginia
Total intellectual property lawyer jobs: 112 Average annual salary: $96,070 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
10. Connecticut
Total intellectual property lawyer jobs: 21 Average annual salary: $105,310 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 0.52
Intellectual property lawyer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an intellectual property lawyer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an intellectual property lawyer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $126,619 | $75,000 | 693,972 | 46 |
| 2 | New York | $126,128 | $75,000 | 19,849,399 | 201 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $138,719 | $85,000 | 6,859,819 | 123 |
| 4 | California | $98,606 | $55,000 | 39,536,653 | 499 |
| 5 | Maryland | $99,574 | $56,000 | 6,052,177 | 85 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $109,827 | $63,000 | 9,005,644 | 62 |
| 7 | Colorado | $90,329 | $49,000 | 5,607,154 | 110 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $101,641 | $58,000 | 1,059,639 | 8 |
| 9 | Virginia | $96,070 | $53,000 | 8,470,020 | 112 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $105,310 | $60,000 | 3,588,184 | 21 |
| 11 | Illinois | $92,182 | $50,000 | 12,802,023 | 136 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $97,471 | $55,000 | 1,342,795 | 13 |
| 13 | Vermont | $113,877 | $65,000 | 623,657 | 0 |
| 14 | Washington | $87,046 | $46,000 | 7,405,743 | 106 |
| 15 | Oregon | $85,913 | $46,000 | 4,142,776 | 53 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $83,133 | $45,000 | 6,715,984 | 51 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $86,881 | $48,000 | 12,805,537 | 71 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $80,029 | $42,000 | 5,795,483 | 62 |
| 19 | Arizona | $77,919 | $43,000 | 7,016,270 | 93 |
| 20 | Delaware | $96,214 | $54,000 | 961,939 | 3 |
| 21 | Michigan | $80,515 | $43,000 | 9,962,311 | 63 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $78,805 | $41,000 | 5,576,606 | 93 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $76,737 | $42,000 | 10,273,419 | 128 |
| 24 | Texas | $75,836 | $42,000 | 28,304,596 | 277 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $83,663 | $45,000 | 1,815,857 | 1 |
| 26 | Ohio | $75,675 | $40,000 | 11,658,609 | 101 |
| 27 | Iowa | $76,864 | $40,000 | 3,145,711 | 35 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $76,265 | $39,000 | 755,393 | 8 |
| 29 | Alaska | $85,113 | $47,000 | 739,795 | 2 |
| 30 | Florida | $70,751 | $41,000 | 20,984,400 | 284 |
| 31 | Utah | $72,755 | $38,000 | 3,101,833 | 35 |
| 32 | Georgia | $71,947 | $39,000 | 10,429,379 | 129 |
| 33 | Indiana | $65,840 | $35,000 | 6,666,818 | 113 |
| 34 | Maine | $73,309 | $39,000 | 1,335,907 | 10 |
| 35 | Nevada | $64,292 | $34,000 | 2,998,039 | 32 |
| 36 | Kansas | $65,412 | $34,000 | 2,913,123 | 30 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $61,637 | $32,000 | 579,315 | 10 |
| 38 | Alabama | $68,832 | $38,000 | 4,874,747 | 28 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $69,414 | $37,000 | 4,454,189 | 20 |
| 40 | Montana | $60,451 | $31,000 | 1,050,493 | 32 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $69,857 | $37,000 | 1,920,076 | 10 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $66,484 | $34,000 | 869,666 | 5 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $68,712 | $38,000 | 4,684,333 | 13 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $48,198 | $39,000 | 1,427,538 | 8 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $62,859 | $34,000 | 5,024,369 | 37 |
| 46 | Idaho | $64,526 | $33,000 | 1,716,943 | 8 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $63,674 | $34,000 | 3,004,279 | 9 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $62,459 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 14 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $59,010 | $31,000 | 3,930,864 | 21 |
| 50 | Missouri | $56,196 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 41 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $59,388 | $33,000 | 2,984,100 | 7 |
Highest paying states for intellectual property lawyers
| Rank | State | Avg. Intellectual Property Lawyer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $126,619 |
| 2 | New York | $126,128 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $138,719 |
| 4 | California | $98,606 |
| 5 | Maryland | $99,574 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $109,827 |
| 7 | Colorado | $90,329 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $101,641 |
| 9 | Virginia | $96,070 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $105,310 |
| 11 | Illinois | $92,182 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $97,471 |
| 13 | Vermont | $113,877 |
| 14 | Washington | $87,046 |
| 15 | Oregon | $85,913 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $83,133 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $86,881 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $80,029 |
| 19 | Arizona | $77,919 |
| 20 | Delaware | $96,214 |
| 21 | Michigan | $80,515 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $78,805 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $76,737 |
| 24 | Texas | $75,836 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $83,663 |
| 26 | Ohio | $75,675 |
| 27 | Iowa | $76,864 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $76,265 |
| 29 | Alaska | $85,113 |
| 30 | Florida | $70,751 |
| 31 | Utah | $72,755 |
| 32 | Georgia | $71,947 |
| 33 | Indiana | $65,840 |
| 34 | Maine | $73,309 |
| 35 | Nevada | $64,292 |
| 36 | Kansas | $65,412 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $61,637 |
| 38 | Alabama | $68,832 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $69,414 |
| 40 | Montana | $60,451 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $69,857 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $66,484 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $68,712 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $48,198 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $62,859 |
| 46 | Idaho | $64,526 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $63,674 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $62,459 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $59,010 |
| 50 | Missouri | $56,196 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $59,388 |
Intellectual property lawyer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025