Also called: Registered Patent Agent, Patent Practitioner
Engineer licensed to write and file patents that protect inventors' ideas, without being a lawyer.
An inventor shows you a new kind of bike lock. You search millions of old patents to see if it's truly new, then write a precise description and 'claims' that define exactly what's protected, and argue with the Patent Office examiner by letter.
Patent attorneys (who add a law degree) earn even more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in engineering or science plus passing the USPTO patent bar exam.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemistry, Biology.
Growing about average. Steady demand from tech and biotech companies.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI now drafts patent applications and searches prior art fast, so firms need fewer agents; strategy and legal accountability stay human.
Classes: English composition, AP Physics, AP Chemistry, Speech or debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 23-2099.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.