Design Patent Examining
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Design Patent Examining occupation series (code 1226), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
With 365 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Design Patent Examining ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family, and headcount declined 0.3% from the prior period. Its average salary of $137,602 pays above the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 365
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $137,602
- Avg tenure
- 9.3 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Design Patent Examining
Federal agencies employ 365 people in the Design Patent Examining occupation (OPM code 1226), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -0.3% versus the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.
The average salary for Design Patent Examining is $137,602 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.8% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement. Average length of service in this role is 9.3 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Design Patent Examining sits inside the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family (code 12), which contains 7 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Design Patent Examining postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family.
Design Patent Examining makes up 3.5% of the 10,490 employees across the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family, ranking #3 of 7 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Design Patent Examining pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$137,602
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+17.3%
Where Design Patent Examining ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $137,602 is higher than 81% of federal occupation series (437 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Design Patent Examining sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Design Patent Examining ranks higher than 81%.
Related Occupations in Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group
6 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patent Examining | 9,385 | $157,963 | 14.3 yrs |
| Patent Attorney | 373 | $202,357 | 17.8 yrs |
| Patent Administration | 322 | $199,503 | 24.1 yrs |
| Patent Classifying | 33 | $189,888 | 21.5 yrs |
| Patent Adviser | 7 | $160,445 | 10.6 yrs |
| Patent Technician | 5 | $95,669 | 29 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Design Patent Examining outside the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (365 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($137,602 here).
Key takeaways
- Design Patent Examining pays above the federal average by 17.3% ($137,602 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 81st percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 365 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.3% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Design Patent Examining ranks #336 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Design Patent Examining makes up 3.5% of the 10,490 employees across the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family, ranking #3 of 7 occupations in that family by headcount.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.