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The differences between patent analysts 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 analyst and a legal counsel. Additionally, a legal counsel has an average salary of $132,867, which is higher than the $77,926 average annual salary of a patent analyst.
The top three skills for a patent analyst include search reports, technical aspects and medical devices. The most important skills for a legal counsel are legal advice, legal issues, and litigation.
| Patent Analyst | Legal Counsel | |
| Yearly salary | $77,926 | $132,867 |
| Hourly rate | $37.46 | $63.88 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 328 | 10,337 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Being a patent analyst involves comparing products that are already in the market to new inventions and innovations. You will be responsible for ensuring and upholding government assurance of the originality and ownership of an invention. Patent analysis involves the examination of every aspect of an invention, including the blueprints, the pieces, the assembly, the raw material used, and etc. The role requires the evaluation of uses and specifications of an invention, classification, and then a written report based on the analysis.
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 analysts and legal counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Patent Analyst | Legal Counsel | |
| Average salary | $77,926 | $132,867 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $129,000 | Between $81,000 And $216,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Morrison & Foerster | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a patent analyst and a legal counsel in terms of educational background:
| Patent Analyst | Legal Counsel | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between patent analysts' and legal counsels' demographics:
| Patent Analyst | Legal Counsel | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% | Male, 54.2% Female, 45.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.8% 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% |