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[jeremystrause]

Here's their info:

BS from Boston U
JD from Columbia
Registered with the USPTO
Wants to work in a large city like Boston.

How much would you expect this person's first year annual salary to be if they decided to work for a large law firm? Don't consider the poor job market right now because this wouldn't happen for several years, but keep the salary figure in 2011 dollars.

Thank you! 

[blakesq]

$70K.

[khazzah]

$70K.

I don't have any specific data, but that number seems low to me for BigLaw in a major city. Based on the Atlanta market, I'd say >= $125K.

[khazzah]

1) BS from Boston U
2) JD from Columbia
3) Registered with the USPTO
4) Wants to work in a large city like Boston.
5) large law firm

Note that #1 and #2 don't affect the salary per se. Rather, they affect the ability to get a job at BigLaw in the first place. #3 can affect salary, assuming there are at least some firms that still give a "reg number bump".

#5 is actually the biggest predictor of salary. That is, there is a very strong correlation between firm size and salary. The correlation between city size and salary is also pretty high, even though not all nationwide firms adjust salary for the geographic location. At least, it was true in the past that some firms paid all cities at the highest rate.

[khazzah]

I see a lot of salary questions on this board.

Is there no public source for this information? NALP? Greedy Associates? Something newer that I'm not aware of?

[bleedingpen]

I honestly feel like many of the "considering" or "newcomers" to the profession are not willing to actually read many of the other threads on this board in order to reach some type of conclusion.  It seems like we answer a few questions time and time again:

"will my BA in history allow me to practice patent law?"
"will my BS in biology and chemistry allow me to write software patents?"
"how much money will I make if I go to big school, biglaw, and just really kick ass?"

[rts]

"will my BA in history allow me to practice patent law?"

Yes, as long as you also have a BSc 

"will my BS in biology and chemistry allow me to write software patents?"

Yes. Genetic algorithms 

"how much money will I make if I go to big school, biglaw, and just really kick ass?"

$500k per year, but that also assumes you marry into a family that summmers in the Hamptons 

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[NJ Patent1]

160K+ to start (plus bonus) in NYC for top tier botiques, fact confirmed with a hiring partner.  I suspect same or slightly, but only slightly, less in Boston.  Ditto for Chicago - my kinda town.  As suggested in Harzzah's prior post.  Go to your law school placement office, "big law" (Skaden, Cravath, S&C) publish this stuff and, last I heard, these folks are over 160K to start. (Caveat, a friend from law scholl started at S&C, first year went to work Friday AM, came home Monday PM - true stroy)  Also check-out "Above the Law" on the net, really.  If your friend went to Columbia, they otta know how to research stuff.  One can indeed get stinking filthy rich practicing IP law (I just haven't figured-out how  ) Tell your friend to watch "Dirty Rotten Money", and take rts's advice and "marry well"  And I'm not sorry . Well, I am sorry I didn't marry well.  Now I have to work and read posts to sharpen my knowledge.) 

[Crusher]

2 Critical Questions:  (a) UG major? (b)  Class rank?  Will vary very much on these two factors. 

[NJ Patent1]

Crusher; I must respectfully disagree.  "Big Law" works in lock-step, at least in first +/- 5 years.  The factors you mention decide if you get the job, not how much you are paid.  Some firms "bump you up" a year if you come in with a Ph.D. and a reg number (if your are hired to do patent work)

[bald & chained]

What about me?

I have BA from Berklee (college of music)
JD from ud of Columbia
registered with the PTO in my son's school
proficient in Spanish

What kind of bonuses should I expect on top of the 160K salary?  I hope at least 20%, my counselor at our CDO told me all patent attorneys make lots of money.  Anyways, I need an answer tonight.  Serious answers only please!

Here's their info:

BS from Boston U
JD from Columbia
Registered with the USPTO
Wants to work in a large city like Boston.

How much would you expect this person's first year annual salary to be if they decided to work for a large law firm? Don't consider the poor job market right now because this wouldn't happen for several years, but keep the salary figure in 2011 dollars.

Thank you! 

[Dazed-n-confused]

What about me?

I have BA from Berklee (college of music)
JD from ud of Columbia
registered with the PTO in my son's school
proficient in Spanish

What kind of bonuses should I expect on top of the 160K salary?  I hope at least 20%, my counselor at our CDO told me all patent attorneys make lots of money.  Anyways, I need an answer tonight.  Serious answers only please!

Sorry t_s, it's perfusioncy in Spanglish that rates that USD160K and the 40K bonus. 

You're stuck at JPY160K with your crudenshells.

registered with the PTO in my son's school

was IMHO one of the best jokes I've seen all week.   

[petethebody]

The ONLY thing that matters for a big firm salary is the size of the firm. AmLaw 200 pay 160k salary in major markets and down to 135k or 125k in smaller markets.  Big firms do not care to expend resources to determine the worth of an individual, they just pay market salaries.  Bonuses, on the other hand, vary widely from person to person even within a firm.

[Examinerguy]

People leave the patent office for firm life all the time. Since around 2009 Biglaw in DC, NYC, San Fran, etc. pay 160K + bonus. Only in the last year have I heard a few examiners get 165K offers. Of course those numbers are for prosecution. Litigation is a whole other animal. I've also had an examiner who received a 90K attorney offer in Michigan for a mid-sized boutique. So it appears to be all over the place when you leave the BigLaw/BigCity realm.

[horsechute]

"IMHO one of the best jokes I've seen all week."   

Yes, one of his better ones ever (the whole thing, esp. the Berklee bit).