Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Patent examiner salary
Average patent examiner salary
$64,891
Let Zippia find your next patent examiner job
Let Zippia find your next patent examiner job
Average patent examiner salary by state
Highest paying states for patent examiners
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $105,632 | $50.78 |
| 2 | New York | $108,521 | $52.17 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $91,307 | $43.90 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $94,857 | $45.60 |
| 5 | Virginia | $80,184 | $38.55 |
| 6 | Maryland | $79,445 | $38.19 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $74,086 | $35.62 |
| 8 | Vermont | $79,068 | $38.01 |
| 9 | California | $81,750 | $39.30 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $77,741 | $37.38 |
| 11 | Nevada | $68,771 | $33.06 |
| 12 | Michigan | $71,962 | $34.60 |
| 13 | Illinois | $72,448 | $34.83 |
| 14 | Alaska | $81,731 | $39.29 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $80,916 | $38.90 |
| 16 | Ohio | $69,027 | $33.19 |
| 17 | Georgia | $63,966 | $30.75 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $76,107 | $36.59 |
| 19 | Texas | $65,895 | $31.68 |
| 20 | Delaware | $75,776 | $36.43 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $67,556 | $32.48 |
| 22 | Arizona | $62,608 | $30.10 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $65,014 | $31.26 |
| 24 | Florida | $64,232 | $30.88 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $69,131 | $33.24 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $66,438 | $31.94 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $61,775 | $29.70 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $59,690 | $28.70 |
| 29 | Iowa | $61,781 | $29.70 |
| 30 | Washington | $62,126 | $29.87 |
| 31 | Colorado | $55,803 | $26.83 |
| 32 | Indiana | $60,737 | $29.20 |
| 33 | Missouri | $56,566 | $27.20 |
| 34 | Utah | $58,615 | $28.18 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $53,870 | $25.90 |
| 36 | Oregon | $61,057 | $29.35 |
| 37 | Alabama | $58,137 | $27.95 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $55,767 | $26.81 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $47,497 | $22.84 |
| 40 | Maine | $48,558 | $23.35 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $43,551 | $20.94 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $54,738 | $26.32 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $51,023 | $24.53 |
| 44 | Montana | $45,914 | $22.07 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $53,047 | $25.50 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $51,198 | $24.61 |
| 47 | Kansas | $51,633 | $24.82 |
| 48 | Idaho | $48,402 | $23.27 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $48,205 | $23.18 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $49,770 | $23.93 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $38,766 | $18.64 |
Patent examiner salary details
A patent examiner's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $119,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a patent examiner's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $119,000 | $9,917 | $57 |
| 75th Percentile | $89,000 | $7,417 | $43 |
| Average | $64,891 | $5,408 | $31 |
| 25th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
Highest paying patent examiner jobs
The highest paying types of patent examiners are corporate counsel, legal counsel, and general counsel.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Counsel | $132,867 | $11,072 | $63.88 | 10,337 |
| Housing Counselor | $78,730 | $6,561 | $37.85 | 33,639 |
| Criminal Justice Lawyer | $49,977 | $4,165 | $24.03 | 824 |
| General Counsel | $125,248 | $10,437 | $60.22 | 50,275 |
| Lawyer | $115,808 | $9,651 | $55.68 | 2,897 |
| Contract Attorney | $97,474 | $8,123 | $46.86 | 13,592 |
Top companies hiring patent examiners now:
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Patent examiner salary trends
The average patent examiner salary has risen by $6,963 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average patent examiner earned $57,928 annually, but today, they earn $64,891 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for patent examiners over the last decade.
Compare patent examiner salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average patent examiner salary over time
Compare patent examiner salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Patent examiner salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $64,900 | $31.20 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $62,900 | $30.22 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $61,800 | $29.72 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $61,000 | $29.31 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $60,400 | $29.04 | +2.0% |
Recently added patent examiner salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Commerce | Patent Examiner (Chemical Engineering) | Alexandria, VA | 06/25/2025 | $67,860 |
| Uspto | Patent Examiner (Physics) and Comparable Stem Backgrounds | Denver, CO | 12/11/2024 | $66,726 |
| Uspto | Patent Examiner (Physics) and Comparable Stem Backgrounds | Denver, CO | 10/24/2024 | $66,726 |
| Rightworks | Patent Examiner Mechanical Engineering | Boston, MA | 10/17/2024 | $100,000 |
| Uspto | Patent Examiner (Chemistry) and Comparable Stem Backgrounds | Denver, CO | 09/26/2024 | $78,025 |
| Uspto | Patent Examiner (Biology) and Comparable Stem Backgrounds | Denver, CO | 09/10/2024 | $78,025 |
| Department of Commerce | Supervisory Patent Examiner Tc2400 | Washington, VA | 05/21/2024 | $163,645 |
| Department of Commerce | Supervisory Patent Examiner Tc3600 | Dallas, TX | 05/21/2024 | $163,645 |
| Department of Commerce | Supervisory Patent Examiner Tc3600 | San Jose, CA | 05/21/2024 | $163,645 |
| Department of Commerce | Patent Examiner (Chemical Engineering) | Washington, VA | 10/26/2023 | $61,325 |
Search for patent examiner jobs