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The differences between patent agents and legal administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a patent agent, becoming a legal administrator takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a patent agent has an average salary of $65,466, which is higher than the $47,198 average annual salary of a legal administrator.
The top three skills for a patent agent include intellectual property, patent prosecution and law firm. The most important skills for a legal administrator are veterans, litigation, and powerpoint.
| Patent Agent | Legal Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $65,466 | $47,198 |
| Hourly rate | $31.47 | $22.69 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 25,562 | 56,419 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
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.
The job of legal administrative assistants is to provide support to lawyers and paralegals. They typically perform legal research, manage schedules, and draft legal-related documents. Other duties include interpreting laws, regulations, and rulings in legal documents, obtaining information from other agencies or organizations, and preparing management and legal reports. In addition, legal administrative assistants are responsible for updating and maintaining databases and ensuring to provide effective administrative assistance. They are also expected to schedule client meetings and court hearings.
Patent agents and legal administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Patent Agent | Legal Administrator | |
| Average salary | $65,466 | $47,198 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $124,000 | Between $33,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a patent agent and a legal administrator in terms of educational background:
| Patent Agent | Legal Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between patent agents' and legal administrators' demographics:
| Patent Agent | Legal Administrator | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% | Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8% |
| 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, 9.0% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |