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The differences between patent attorneys and document review 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 document review attorney. Additionally, a patent attorney has an average salary of $86,919, which is higher than the $81,181 average annual salary of a document review attorney.
The top three skills for a patent attorney include electrical engineering, USPTO and law firm. The most important skills for a document review attorney are litigation, complex litigation, and e-discovery software.
| Patent Attorney | Document Review Attorney | |
| Yearly salary | $86,919 | $81,181 |
| Hourly rate | $41.79 | $39.03 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 7,889 | 9,393 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Doctoral Degree, 60% |
| 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 Document Review Attorney reviews various types of legal documents, such as contract and employment law, intellectual property, and commercial litigation, to identify any areas of risk or information that may need correction.
Patent attorneys and document review attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Patent Attorney | Document Review Attorney | |
| Average salary | $86,919 | $81,181 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $152,000 | Between $48,000 And $134,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Goodwin | Cooley |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a patent attorney and a document review attorney in terms of educational background:
| Patent Attorney | Document Review Attorney | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Doctoral Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Law | Law |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between patent attorneys' and document review attorneys' demographics:
| Patent Attorney | Document Review Attorney | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.3% Female, 20.7% | Male, 56.7% Female, 43.3% |
| 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, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |