Patent Administration
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Patent Administration occupation series (code 1220).
The verdict
With 322 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Patent Administration ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family, and headcount declined 0.9% from the prior period. Its average salary of $199,503 pays well above the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 322
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $199,503
- Avg tenure
- 24.1 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Patent Administration
Federal agencies employ 322 people in the Patent Administration occupation (OPM code 1220), 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 -0.9% 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 $199,503 per year. Salaries moved down by -0.0% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 24.1 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 6 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Patent Administration postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family.
Within the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family, Patent Administration ranks #4 of 7 by headcount, accounting for 3.1% of the family's combined 10,490 employees.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Patent Administration pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$199,503
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+70.0%
Where Patent Administration ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $199,503 is higher than 99% of federal occupation series (533 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Patent Administration sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Patent Administration ranks higher than 99%.
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 |
| Design Patent Examining | 365 | $137,602 | 9.3 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 Patent Administration 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 (322 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($199,503 here).
Key takeaways
- Patent Administration pays well above the federal average by 70.0% ($199,503 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 99th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 322 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.9% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Patent Administration ranks #359 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family, Patent Administration ranks #4 of 7 by headcount, accounting for 3.1% of the family's combined 10,490 employees.
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.