Patent attorney demographics and statistics in the US
Patent attorney demographics research summary. Zippia estimates patent attorney demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our patent attorney 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 attorneys after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 3,943 patent attorneys currently employed in the United States.
- 20.7% of all patent attorneys are women, while 79.3% are men.
- The average patent attorney age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of patent attorneys is White (75.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.9%), Asian (6.5%) and Black or African American (5.7%).
- Patent attorneys are most in-demand in Los Angeles, CA.
- The professional industry is the highest-paying for patent attorneys.
- Boston, MA pays an annual average wage of $119,512, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women patent attorneys earned 93% of what men earned.
- 10% of all patent attorneys are LGBT.
- District of Columbia is the best state for patent attorneys to live.
- Patent attorneys are 69% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Patent attorney demographics by:
Patent attorney gender statistics
20.7% of patent attorneys are women and 79.3% of patent attorneys are men.
- Male, 79.3%
- Female, 20.7%
Patent attorney gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 79.3% |
| Female | 20.7% |
Patent attorney gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$74,173
Female income
$69,265
Patent attorney gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in patent attorney positions over time. Currently, 20.7% of patent attorneys are female.
Patent attorney gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 83.62% | 16.38% |
| 2011 | 83.16% | 16.84% |
| 2012 | 83.05% | 16.95% |
| 2013 | 82.69% | 17.31% |
| 2014 | 82.64% | 17.36% |
| 2015 | 81.03% | 18.97% |
| 2016 | 80.97% | 19.03% |
| 2017 | 81.04% | 18.96% |
| 2018 | 81.29% | 18.71% |
| 2019 | 80.84% | 19.16% |
| 2020 | 79.62% | 20.38% |
| 2021 | 79.34% | 20.66% |
Patent attorney related jobs gender ratio
We compared patent attorneys 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 Analyst | 72% | 28% |
| Patent Attorney | 79% | 21% |
| Patent Examiner | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Patent attorney demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among patent attorneys is White, which makes up 75.3% of all patent attorneys. Comparatively, 7.9% of patent attorneys are Hispanic or Latino and 6.5% of patent attorneys are Asian.
- White, 75.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.9%
- Asian, 6.5%
- Black or African American, 5.7%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Patent attorney race
| Patent attorney race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.9% |
| Asian | 6.5% |
| Black or African American | 5.7% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Patent attorney race and ethnicity over time
See how patent attorney racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Patent attorney race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.94% | 5.24% | 4.88% | 6.10% |
| 2011 | 81.71% | 5.55% | 5.04% | 5.93% |
| 2012 | 81.78% | 5.18% | 5.21% | 6.12% |
| 2013 | 81.54% | 5.26% | 5.25% | 5.85% |
| 2014 | 80.88% | 5.76% | 5.48% | 6.00% |
| 2015 | 80.78% | 5.42% | 5.57% | 6.41% |
| 2016 | 80.22% | 5.48% | 5.73% | 6.70% |
| 2017 | 80.24% | 5.46% | 5.70% | 6.47% |
| 2018 | 79.61% | 5.64% | 5.62% | 7.09% |
| 2019 | 79.14% | 5.61% | 6.00% | 7.15% |
| 2020 | 76.62% | 5.52% | 6.31% | 7.30% |
| 2021 | 75.28% | 5.66% | 6.48% | 7.89% |
Patent attorney wage gap by race
According to our data, asian patent attorneys have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american patent attorneys have the lowest average salary at $70,394.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $73,476 |
| White | $75,824 |
| Black or African American | $70,394 |
| Asian | $79,812 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $71,728 |
Average patent attorney age
See how the average age of patent attorneys varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Patent attorney 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 attorney age breakdown
The average age of patent attorneys is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the patent attorney population.
Patent attorney age breakdown
| Patent Attorney Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Patent attorney educational attainment
The most common degree for patent attorneys is bachelor's degree, with 45% of patent attorneys earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 42% and doctoral degree degree at 11%.
- Bachelor's, 45%
- Doctorate, 42%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Patent attorneys by degree level
| Patent attorney degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 45% |
| Doctorate | 42% |
| Master's | 11% |
| Associate | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Patent attorney jobs you might like
Patent attorney employment statistics
Most patent attorneys work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where patent attorneys work
Below, you can see the size of companies where patent attorneys work.
Patent attorney jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 13% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 24% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 23% |
| > 10,000 employees | 24% |
Patent attorney jobs by company type
Employees with the patent attorney job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most patent attorneys prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Patent attorney jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 26% |
| Private | 69% |
| Government | 2% |
Patent attorney jobs by industry
The most common industries for patent attorneys are professional, manufacturing and technology.
Patent attorney industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 42% |
| Fortune 500 | 12% |
| Manufacturing | 8% |
| Technology | 7% |
| Health Care | 6% |
| Pharmaceutical | 4% |
| Telecommunication | 3% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Education | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
Patent attorney turnover and employment statistics
Patent attorney unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for patent attorneys between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Patent attorney unemployment rate by year
| Year | Patent attorney 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 attorney tenure
The average patent attorney stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 961 patent attorneys resumes in Zippia's database.
Patent attorney tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 11% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 17% |
| 5-7 years | 20% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 13% |
Patent attorney LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of patent attorneys 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Appellate Law Clerk | 5.54% | 66,866 |
| Paralegal Internship | 6.63% | 54,408 |
| Title Processor | 8.14% | 7,068 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Patent Attorney | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Similar patent attorney jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Appellate Law Clerk | 5.54% | 66,866 |
| Paralegal Internship | 6.63% | 54,408 |
| Title Processor | 8.14% | 7,068 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Foreign languages spoken by patent attorneys
The most common foreign language among patent attorneys is Chinese at 21.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Mandarin at 20.0% and Japanese is the third-most popular at 12.7%.
- Chinese, 21.8%
- Mandarin, 20.0%
- Japanese, 12.7%
- Spanish, 9.1%
- Cantonese, 7.3%
- Other, 29.1%
Patent attorney languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 21.8% |
| Mandarin | 20.0% |
| Japanese | 12.7% |
| Spanish | 9.1% |
| Cantonese | 7.3% |
| Other | 29.1% |
