Patent Administration

What the Numbers Say About Patent Administration

Federal agencies employ 445 people in the Patent Administration occupation (OPM code 1220), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -1.1% 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 Patent Administration is $197,193 per year, placing it 79.5% above the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 1.9% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement. Average length of service in this role is 23.6 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.

The Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family (code 12) groups Patent Administration together with 4 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Patent Administration postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Within the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family, Patent Administration is one of the top 5 occupations by headcount (#3), accounting for 4.1% of the family's combined 10,875 employees.