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The differences between intellectual property lawyers and lawyers 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 a lawyer. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, 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 a lawyer are litigation, law firm, and legal issues.
| Intellectual Property Lawyer | Lawyer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,730 | $115,808 |
| Hourly rate | $39.77 | $55.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 9,801 | 2,897 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.
Intellectual property lawyers and lawyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Intellectual Property Lawyer | Lawyer | |
| Average salary | $82,730 | $115,808 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $168,000 | Between $64,000 And $208,000 |
| Highest paying City | Danvers, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New York |
| Best paying company | Seyfarth Shaw | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an intellectual property lawyer and a lawyer in terms of educational background:
| Intellectual Property Lawyer | Lawyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between intellectual property lawyers' and lawyers' demographics:
| Intellectual Property Lawyer | Lawyer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5% | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% |
| 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, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |