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Job outlook for inventors in the United States
Are inventor jobs in demand?
Yes, inventor jobs are in demand. Inventor demand is projected to grow 3% from 2018 to 2028.
Inventor job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of inventor jobs and the average inventor salary over time.
Inventor jobs over time
Inventor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 548 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 590 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 643 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 651 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 613 | 0.00% |
Average inventor salary over time
Inventor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $57,594 | $27.69 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $55,383 | $26.63 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | $53,534 | $25.74 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | $53,036 | $25.50 | --2.7% |
| 2021 | $54,499 | $26.20 | +1.0% |
Inventor jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of inventor job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where inventors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for inventors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 74 | 2% |
| 2 | California | 39,536,653 | 335 | 1% |
| 3 | New York | 19,849,399 | 149 | 1% |
| 4 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 91 | 1% |
| 5 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 68 | 1% |
| 6 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 63 | 1% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 49 | 1% |
| 8 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 20 | 1% |
| 9 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 11 | 1% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 11 | 1% |
| 11 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 10 | 1% |
| 12 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 10 | 1% |
| 13 | Delaware | 961,939 | 10 | 1% |
| 14 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 7 | 1% |
| 15 | Vermont | 623,657 | 6 | 1% |
| 16 | Alaska | 739,795 | 5 | 1% |
| 17 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 5 | 1% |
| 18 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 5 | 1% |
| 19 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 4 | 1% |
| 20 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 85 | 0% |
Most common cities for inventors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Rapids | 1 | 1% | $58,302 |
| 2 | South San Francisco | 1 | 1% | $79,787 |
| 3 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $43,716 |
| 4 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $56,211 |