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The differences between intellectual property lawyers and attorneys at law 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 attorney at law. Additionally, an attorney at law has an average salary of $108,018, 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 attorney at law are litigation, law firm, and legal research.
| Intellectual Property Lawyer | Attorney At Law | |
| Yearly salary | $82,730 | $108,018 |
| Hourly rate | $39.77 | $51.93 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 9,801 | 7,025 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 52% |
| 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 Attorney at Law is responsible for preparing and examining contracts involving leases, licenses, purchases, sales, etc. They advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, or legal rights and obligations.
Intellectual property lawyers and attorneys at law have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Intellectual Property Lawyer | Attorney At Law | |
| Average salary | $82,730 | $108,018 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $168,000 | Between $69,000 And $166,000 |
| Highest paying City | Danvers, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Seyfarth Shaw | White and Williams |
| Best paying industry | - | Retail |
There are a few differences between an intellectual property lawyer and an attorney at law in terms of educational background:
| Intellectual Property Lawyer | Attorney At Law | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Doctoral Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between intellectual property lawyers' and attorneys at law' demographics:
| Intellectual Property Lawyer | Attorney At Law | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5% | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% |
| 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% |