Patent Administration federal salary series 1220
Full-time federal employees in the Patent Administration series earned a median of $197,200 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 80% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $197,200 and $197,200.
What shapes patent administration pay
The most common grade with published pay is GS-15 (220 employees, median $197,200). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Commerce (322 employees). Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.
Patent Administration pay by grade
Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.
| Pay plan–grade | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| GS-14 | 47 | $192,154 |
| GS-15 | 220 | $197,200 |
| ES (ungraded) | 46 | $221,724 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Patent Administration pay by agency
| Agency | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Commerce | 322 | $197,200 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Patent Administration pay by state
The 1 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.
| State | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 203 | $197,200 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Change since September 2025
The median moved +1.0% from $195,200 in September 2025 to $197,200 in September 2026. Headcount went from 356 to 322 (−9.6%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.
Related occupations in Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Group
- Patent Examining (1224)$176,572
- Design Patent Examining (1226)$131,841
- Patent Attorney (1222)$209,600
- Patent Classifying (1223)$192,154