Patent Classifying
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Patent Classifying occupation series (code 1223): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 33 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Patent Classifying ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family. Its average salary of $189,888 pays well above the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 33
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $189,888
- Avg tenure
- 21.5 yrs
FedScope read on Patent Classifying (thin series)
Federal agencies employ 33 people in the Patent Classifying occupation (OPM code 1223), 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 sideways by 0.0% 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 Classifying is $189,888 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.1% 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 21.5 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 Classifying together with 6 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Patent Classifying postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family.
Patent Classifying makes up 0.3% of the 10,490 employees across the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family, ranking #5 of 7 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Patent Classifying pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$189,888
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+61.8%
Where Patent Classifying ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $189,888 is higher than 98% of federal occupation series (531 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Patent Classifying sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Patent Classifying ranks higher than 98%.
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 Administration | 322 | $199,503 | 24.1 yrs |
| Patent Adviser | 7 | $160,445 | 10.6 yrs |
| Patent Technician | 5 | $95,669 | 29 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Patent Classifying outside the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (33 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($189,888 here).
Key takeaways
- Patent Classifying pays well above the federal average by 61.8% ($189,888 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 98th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 33 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Patent Classifying ranks #574 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Patent Classifying makes up 0.3% of the 10,490 employees across the Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group family, ranking #5 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.