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The differences between patent attorneys and contract attorneys 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 attorney and a contract attorney. Additionally, a contract attorney has an average salary of $97,474, which is higher than the $86,919 average annual salary of a patent attorney.
The top three skills for a patent attorney include electrical engineering, USPTO and law firm. The most important skills for a contract attorney are litigation, e-discovery, and legal research.
| Patent Attorney | Contract Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $86,919 | $97,474 |
| Hourly rate | $41.79 | $46.86 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 7,889 | 13,592 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A patent attorney is an intellectual property expert whose responsibilities revolve around assisting and representing clients on patent application procedures. A patent attorney must meet with clients to identify their needs, provide advice when it comes to trademarks and trade secrets, discuss and interpret complex subjects such as regulations and laws, and secure rights and properties. Furthermore, as a patent attorney, it is essential to review and negotiate contracts and proposals to avoid disputes in the future.
A contract attorney is responsible for handling their clients' legal issues and settling cases by researching, analyzing, and collecting essential files that would support the clients' claims. Contract attorneys usually work for private clients without being permanently employed in a law firm or government agency. Contract attorneys represent clients at court, assist with law proceedings, and advise clients for the necessary legal procedures. A contract attorney must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills to manage client legal matters and expertise in traditional disciplines and processes.
Patent attorneys and contract attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Patent Attorney | Contract Attorney | |
| Average salary | $86,919 | $97,474 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $152,000 | Between $60,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Ramon, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Goodwin | Perkins Coie |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a patent attorney and a contract attorney in terms of educational background:
| Patent Attorney | Contract Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Doctoral Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between patent attorneys' and contract attorneys' demographics:
| Patent Attorney | Contract Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.3% Female, 20.7% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |