Patent agent vs general counsel

The differences between patent agents and general counsels can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a patent agent and a general counsel. Additionally, a general counsel has an average salary of $125,248, which is higher than the $65,466 average annual salary of a patent agent.

The top three skills for a patent agent include intellectual property, patent prosecution and law firm. The most important skills for a general counsel are litigation, legal issues, and legal advice.

Patent agent vs general counsel overview

	Patent Agent	General Counsel
Yearly salary	$65,466	$125,248
Hourly rate	$31.47	$60.22
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	25,562	50,275
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	4

What does a patent agent do?

A patent agent is responsible for monitoring the intellectual property rights of an existing patent invention and ensuring that new applications would not coincide with any registered patent. Patent agents handle the application processes and document verification for individuals or the government. They conduct in-depth research and discuss the process with the investors and inform them of any restrictions on issuance. A patent agent must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in performing duties and resolving issues timely and efficiently.

What does a general counsel do?

A general counsel, also called a chief legal officer, is the chief lawyer in the legal department of an organization. The counsel represents an enterprise for any pending legal matters. They work proactively to lessen possible problems associated with legalities and potential risks. They have to monitor practices and the people within the law firm for misconduct. They also perform dominant roles in regulation, ethics, public affairs, and legislation. It is common for them to serve as the public spokesperson of the company during the publicity of legal matters.

Patent agent vs general counsel salary

Patent agents and general counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patent Agent	General Counsel
Average salary	$65,466	$125,248
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $124,000	Between $75,000 And $208,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner	Martin's Point Health Care
Best paying industry	Professional	Finance

Differences between patent agent and general counsel education

There are a few differences between a patent agent and a general counsel in terms of educational background:

	Patent Agent	General Counsel
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Chemistry	Law
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Patent agent vs general counsel demographics

Here are the differences between patent agents' and general counsels' demographics:

	Patent Agent	General Counsel
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5%	Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between patent agent and general counsel duties and responsibilities

Patent agent example responsibilities.

Advise client in requirements to achieve and maintain critical FCPA compliance.
Represent local and multi-national clients before the USPTO and US/RO of WIPO.
Conduct detailed interactions with the USPTO regarding patent prosecution.
Formulate objections under 35 USC regulations.
Assist with patent appeals, interferences, and opposition proceedings.
Prepare non- final rejection under 35 USC 102/103 base on reference from the prior art.

General counsel example responsibilities.

Assist in liaising with insurance authorities, responding to regulatory inquiries and managing relationship with region from legal and business perspective.
Review subpoenas and attorney letters for compliance with HIPAA and institutional guidelines and coordinate non-party depositions as needed.
Prepare dozens of complex commercial transactions in connection to equity and debt securities offerings.
Handle regulatory, compliance, licensing, and registration matters for securities broker- dealer and register investment adviser.
Supervise commercial litigation, arbitration and claims, including case strategy, pleadings preparation, hearings, depositions and settlement negotiations.
Supervise and train unit charge with securing patient medical records, ensuring compliance with Medicare and HIPAA regulations and accreditation standards.

Patent agent vs general counsel skills

Common patent agent skills

Intellectual Property, 13%
Patent Prosecution, 10%
Law Firm, 9%
Electrical Engineering, 9%
Litigation, 8%
Patent Portfolio, 5%

Common general counsel skills

Litigation, 12%
Legal Issues, 8%
Legal Advice, 8%
Intellectual Property, 5%
Risk Management, 4%
Ethics, 4%

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Patent Agent
Patent Agent vs General Counsel

Updated January 8, 2025

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