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The differences between patent agents and legal 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 legal counsel. Additionally, a legal counsel has an average salary of $132,867, 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 legal counsel are legal advice, legal issues, and litigation.
| Patent Agent | Legal Counsel | |
| Yearly salary | $65,466 | $132,867 |
| Hourly rate | $31.47 | $63.88 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 25,562 | 10,337 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A Legal Counsel supervises the legal aspects of a business. They give accurate and timely counsel to executives on a variety of legal topics, such as labor law, partnerships, or international ventures.
Patent agents and legal counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Patent Agent | Legal Counsel | |
| Average salary | $65,466 | $132,867 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $124,000 | Between $81,000 And $216,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a patent agent and a legal counsel in terms of educational background:
| Patent Agent | Legal Counsel | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between patent agents' and legal counsels' demographics:
| Patent Agent | Legal Counsel | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% | Male, 54.2% Female, 45.8% |
| 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, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |