Patent examiner demographics and statistics in the US
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Patent examiner demographics by:
Patent examiner gender statistics
19.4% of patent examiners are women and 80.6% of patent examiners are men.
- Male, 80.6%
- Female, 19.4%
Patent examiner gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 80.6% |
| Female | 19.4% |
Patent examiner gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$54,616
Female income
$50,699
Patent examiner gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in patent examiner positions over time. Currently, 19.4% of patent examiners are female.
Patent examiner gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 84.70% | 15.30% |
| 2011 | 84.27% | 15.73% |
| 2012 | 84.17% | 15.83% |
| 2013 | 83.82% | 16.18% |
| 2014 | 83.77% | 16.23% |
| 2015 | 82.25% | 17.75% |
| 2016 | 82.19% | 17.81% |
| 2017 | 82.25% | 17.75% |
| 2018 | 82.49% | 17.51% |
| 2019 | 82.06% | 17.94% |
| 2020 | 80.91% | 19.09% |
| 2021 | 80.64% | 19.36% |
Patent examiner related jobs gender ratio
We compared patent examiners 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 examiner demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among patent examiners is White, which makes up 75.6% of all patent examiners. Comparatively, 7.8% of patent examiners are Hispanic or Latino and 6.4% of patent examiners are Asian.
- White, 75.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.8%
- Asian, 6.4%
- Black or African American, 5.6%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Patent examiner race
| Patent examiner race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.8% |
| Asian | 6.4% |
| Black or African American | 5.6% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Patent examiner race and ethnicity over time
See how patent examiner racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Patent examiner race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.25% | 5.14% | 4.79% | 5.99% |
| 2011 | 82.02% | 5.45% | 4.95% | 5.83% |
| 2012 | 82.09% | 5.08% | 5.12% | 6.01% |
| 2013 | 81.85% | 5.16% | 5.16% | 5.75% |
| 2014 | 81.19% | 5.66% | 5.39% | 5.89% |
| 2015 | 81.09% | 5.32% | 5.48% | 6.31% |
| 2016 | 80.52% | 5.39% | 5.63% | 6.59% |
| 2017 | 80.55% | 5.36% | 5.61% | 6.37% |
| 2018 | 79.91% | 5.54% | 5.53% | 6.98% |
| 2019 | 79.45% | 5.51% | 5.91% | 7.04% |
| 2020 | 76.93% | 5.42% | 6.22% | 7.19% |
| 2021 | 75.59% | 5.56% | 6.38% | 7.78% |
Patent examiner wage gap by race
According to our data, asian patent examiners have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american patent examiners have the lowest average salary at $51,598.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $54,058 |
| White | $55,938 |
| Black or African American | $51,598 |
| Asian | $59,144 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $52,661 |
Average patent examiner age
See how the average age of patent examiners varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Patent examiner 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 examiner age breakdown
The average age of patent examiners is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the patent examiner population.
Patent examiner age breakdown
| Patent Examiner Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Patent examiner educational attainment
The most common degree for patent examiners is bachelor's degree, with 72% of patent examiners earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 10%.
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 15%
- Doctorate, 10%
- Associate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 0%
Patent examiners by degree level
| Patent examiner degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 72% |
| Master's | 15% |
| Doctorate | 10% |
| Associate | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 0% |
Patent examiner jobs you might like
Patent examiner employment statistics
Most patent examiners work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where patent examiners work
Below, you can see the size of companies where patent examiners work.
Patent examiner jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 12% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 28% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 28% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 20% |
| > 10,000 employees | 12% |
Patent examiner jobs by company type
Employees with the patent examiner job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most patent examiners prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Patent examiner jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 9% |
| Public | 13% |
| Private | 65% |
| Government | 13% |
Patent examiner jobs by industry
The most common industries for patent examiners are technology, professional and finance.
Patent examiner industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 19% |
| Professional | 11% |
| Finance | 7% |
| Government | 7% |
| Start-up | 7% |
| Non Profits | 7% |
| Real Estate | 7% |
| Education | 7% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Transportation | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Energy | 4% |
| Telecommunication | 4% |
Patent examiner turnover and employment statistics
Patent examiner unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for patent examiners between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Patent examiner unemployment rate by year
| Year | Patent examiner 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 examiner tenure
The average patent examiner stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,052 patent examiners resumes in Zippia's database.
Patent examiner tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 19% |
| 1-2 years | 37% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 9% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
Patent examiner LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of patent examiners 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Judicial Law Clerk | 5.54% | 67,469 |
| Office Manager And Legal Assistant | 6.63% | 37,838 |
| Title Examiner | 8.14% | 2,994 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Patent Examiner | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Similar patent examiner jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Judicial Law Clerk | 5.54% | 67,469 |
| Office Manager And Legal Assistant | 6.63% | 37,838 |
| Title Examiner | 8.14% | 2,994 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Foreign languages spoken by patent examiners
The most common foreign language among patent examiners is Spanish at 37.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 10.6% and Mandarin is the third-most popular at 9.6%.
- Spanish, 37.2%
- Chinese, 10.6%
- Mandarin, 9.6%
- French, 7.4%
- Japanese, 6.4%
- Other, 28.8%
Patent examiner languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 37.2% |
| Chinese | 10.6% |
| Mandarin | 9.6% |
| French | 7.4% |
| Japanese | 6.4% |
| Other | 28.8% |