Intellectual property lawyers are broken into 3 different categories: patent lawyers, trademark lawyers, and copyright lawyers. The role of the patent lawyer is to protect inventors’ rights and helping them retain their invention exclusively, for a time. Because applying for a patent can be tricky and stressful, people tend to use patent lawyers. Because of their demand, and the intricacy of their work, patent lawyers tend to earn 6-figure salaries.
Like in any other profession, position, and experience have bearing on salary. In 2012, the average salary for a lawyer was $130,880. When it came to patent lawyers, the average was $210,000.
Law firms charge their clients based on hourly work. In 2010, intellectual property lawyers charged, on average, $340 an hour, whereas partners in law firms were charging $410 an hour.
Between 2010 and 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects job opportunities in the intellectual lawyer line to grow by 10% which mean there should be roughly 73,600 new jobs in this line. Because there are more law graduates than openings within firms, if this is a job you are interested in, you have to be willing to relocate.
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