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The differences between intellectual property lawyers and associate attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an intellectual property lawyer and an associate attorney. Additionally, an associate attorney has an average salary of $110,053, which is higher than the $82,730 average annual salary of an intellectual property lawyer.
The top three skills for an intellectual property lawyer include litigation, legal advice and due diligence. The most important skills for an associate attorney are litigation, law firm, and discovery responses.
| Intellectual Property Lawyer | Associate Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $82,730 | $110,053 |
| Hourly rate | $39.77 | $52.91 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 9,801 | 9,183 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An intellectual property (IP) lawyer is a licensed professional who is responsible for protecting a client's intellectual property as well as provide counseling about matters concerning intellectual property. Intellectual property lawyers are required to review or produce important documents and complete the analysis of highly technical materials. They prepare documents so that they can attain patents and trademarks for their client's intellectual property. Intellectual property lawyers are also required to defend businesses and individuals against the over-assertion of intellectual properties.
An associate attorney's role is to provide legal counseling to an individual or business entity, resolve legal disputes through crafting agreements and negotiating contract terms, and serving as an advisor or advocate. Most associate attorneys work at law firms or government agencies, supervised by more experienced personnel. Among the duties of an associate attorney includes conducting extensive research on every case, presenting factual evidence and statements, producing the legal and necessary documentation, and representing clients in formal settings.
Intellectual property lawyers and associate attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Intellectual Property Lawyer | Associate Attorney | |
| Average salary | $82,730 | $110,053 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $168,000 | Between $70,000 And $170,000 |
| Highest paying City | Danvers, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Seyfarth Shaw | Schiff Hardin |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between an intellectual property lawyer and an associate attorney in terms of educational background:
| Intellectual Property Lawyer | Associate Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between intellectual property lawyers' and associate attorneys' demographics:
| Intellectual Property Lawyer | Associate Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5% | Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |