Patent agent demographics and statistics in the US
Patent agent demographics research summary. Zippia estimates patent agent demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our patent agent estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about patent agents after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 3,943 patent agents currently employed in the United States.
- 30.5% of all patent agents are women, while 69.5% are men.
- The average patent agent age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of patent agents is White (75.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.8%), Asian (6.4%) and Black or African American (5.6%).
- Patent agents are most in-demand in Boston, MA.
- New York, NY pays an annual average wage of $103,499, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women patent agents earned 92% of what men earned.
- Massachusetts is the best state for patent agents to live.
- Patent agents are 72% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Patent agent demographics by:
Patent agent gender statistics
30.5% of patent agents are women and 69.5% of patent agents are men.
- Male, 69.5%
- Female, 30.5%
Patent agent gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 69.5% |
| Female | 30.5% |
Patent agent gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$54,614
Female income
$50,503
Patent agent gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in patent agent positions over time. Currently, 30.5% of patent agents are female.
Patent agent gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.18% | 24.82% |
| 2011 | 74.56% | 25.44% |
| 2012 | 74.41% | 25.59% |
| 2013 | 73.92% | 26.08% |
| 2014 | 73.85% | 26.15% |
| 2015 | 71.71% | 28.29% |
| 2016 | 71.63% | 28.37% |
| 2017 | 71.72% | 28.28% |
| 2018 | 72.05% | 27.95% |
| 2019 | 71.45% | 28.55% |
| 2020 | 69.87% | 30.13% |
| 2021 | 69.50% | 30.50% |
Patent agent related jobs gender ratio
We compared patent agents with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, patent examiner and patent attorney have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran Appeals Reviewer | 17% | 83% |
| Guardian Ad Litem | 18% | 82% |
| Surrogate | 18% | 82% |
| Patent Agent | 70% | 30% |
| Patent Analyst | 72% | 28% |
| Patent Attorney | 79% | 21% |
| Patent Examiner | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Patent agent demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among patent agents is White, which makes up 75.6% of all patent agents. Comparatively, 7.8% of patent agents are Hispanic or Latino and 6.4% of patent agents are Asian.
- White, 75.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.8%
- Asian, 6.4%
- Black or African American, 5.6%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Patent agent race
| Patent agent race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.8% |
| Asian | 6.4% |
| Black or African American | 5.6% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Patent agent race and ethnicity over time
See how patent agent racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Patent agent race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.25% | 5.14% | 4.79% | 5.99% |
| 2011 | 82.02% | 5.45% | 4.95% | 5.83% |
| 2012 | 82.09% | 5.08% | 5.12% | 6.01% |
| 2013 | 81.85% | 5.16% | 5.16% | 5.75% |
| 2014 | 81.19% | 5.66% | 5.39% | 5.89% |
| 2015 | 81.09% | 5.32% | 5.48% | 6.31% |
| 2016 | 80.52% | 5.39% | 5.63% | 6.59% |
| 2017 | 80.55% | 5.36% | 5.60% | 6.37% |
| 2018 | 79.91% | 5.54% | 5.53% | 6.98% |
| 2019 | 79.45% | 5.51% | 5.91% | 7.04% |
| 2020 | 76.93% | 5.42% | 6.22% | 7.19% |
| 2021 | 75.59% | 5.56% | 6.38% | 7.78% |
Patent agent wage gap by race
According to our data, asian patent agents have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american patent agents have the lowest average salary at $51,445.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $54,027 |
| White | $56,005 |
| Black or African American | $51,445 |
| Asian | $59,384 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $52,560 |
Average patent agent age
See how the average age of patent agents varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Patent agent age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 46 | 44 |
| Unknown | 46 | 40 |
| Asian | 41 | 40.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 | 39 |
| White | 48 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 51 | 50 |
Patent agent age breakdown
The average age of patent agents is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the patent agent population.
Patent agent age breakdown
| Patent Agent Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Patent agent educational attainment
The most common degree for patent agents is bachelor's degree, with 56% of patent agents earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 24% and doctoral degree degree at 17%.
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Doctorate, 24%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Patent agents by degree level
| Patent agent degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 56% |
| Doctorate | 24% |
| Master's | 17% |
| Associate | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Patent agent jobs you might like
Patent agent employment statistics
Most patent agents work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where patent agents work
Below, you can see the size of companies where patent agents work.
Patent agent jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 13% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 25% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 32% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Patent agent jobs by company type
Employees with the patent agent job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most patent agents prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Patent agent jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 24% |
| Private | 72% |
| Government | 2% |
Patent agent jobs by industry
The most common industries for patent agents are professional, manufacturing and technology.
Patent agent industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 45% |
| Manufacturing | 10% |
| Fortune 500 | 10% |
| Technology | 8% |
| Health Care | 6% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Media | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Patent agent turnover and employment statistics
Patent agent unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for patent agents between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Patent agent unemployment rate by year
| Year | Patent agent unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.19% |
| 2011 | 1.85% |
| 2012 | 1.64% |
| 2013 | 1.90% |
| 2014 | 1.57% |
| 2015 | 1.34% |
| 2016 | 1.09% |
| 2017 | 1.17% |
| 2018 | 1.10% |
| 2019 | 1.16% |
| 2020 | 1.33% |
| 2021 | 1.55% |
Average patent agent tenure
The average patent agent stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 632 patent agents resumes in Zippia's database.
Patent agent tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 15% |
| 1-2 years | 37% |
| 3-4 years | 16% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 9% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
Patent agent LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of patent agents that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Law Clerk | 5.54% | 106,314 |
| Senior Paralegal | 6.63% | 4,213 |
| Title Junior Assistant | 8.14% | 12,219 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Patent Agent | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Similar patent agent jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Law Clerk | 5.54% | 106,314 |
| Senior Paralegal | 6.63% | 4,213 |
| Title Junior Assistant | 8.14% | 12,219 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Foreign languages spoken by patent agents
The most common foreign language among patent agents is Spanish at 19.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 14.3% and Japanese is the third-most popular at 14.3%.
- Spanish, 19.0%
- German, 14.3%
- Japanese, 14.3%
- French, 14.3%
- Chinese, 9.5%
- Other, 28.6%
Patent agent languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 19.0% |
| German | 14.3% |
| Japanese | 14.3% |
| French | 14.3% |
| Chinese | 9.5% |
| Other | 28.6% |
