Patent Attorney
Draft and prosecute patents - protect inventions for companies and inventors worldwide.
This UK patent attorney career guide covers what the role involves day to day, typical salary at each stage, the usual entry route, the skills employers expect, and related careers worth comparing.
Quick facts
- Starting salary
- £35,000 - £50,000
- Mid-career salary
- £70,000 - £110,000
- Senior salary
- £130,000 - £250,000+
- Work environment
- Office or hybrid
- Time to entry
- 5 - 7 years (qualifying exams)
- Degree required
- STEM degree required
- Category
- Business, Finance and Legal
What a Patent Attorney does
Draft and prosecute patents - protect inventions for companies and inventors worldwide.
- Engineering Patents - Draft and prosecute engineering patents.
- Life Sciences Patents - Biotech and pharma patent practice.
- Electronics and Software - EE / software patent practice.
- In-house Patent Counsel - Patent strategy inside large tech companies.
How to become a Patent Attorney
- Look up Patent Attorney roles on LinkedIn or Indeed and read 5 real job ads
- Talk to someone already working as a Patent Attorney - even a 15-minute call helps
- Find one beginner course or qualification used by people in this role
- Build one small piece of evidence you've explored this (project, shadowing, short course)
- Apply to one entry-level role or related opportunity within the next month
Key skills
- Technical writing
- Patent law
- Analysis
- Client comms
- Exam stamina