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[Moosecakes]

Good evening all, great site you have here. I searched but didn't find exactly what I needed, though I'm sure it's been asked many times.

I Have a biology BS with a chemistry minor, 4.0 gpa. What kind of salary could I expect as a patent agent, first starting, and then maybe five years and ten years down the road?

I would really appreciate ANY response here, thank you!

[bleedingpen]

Frankly, I would be shocked if someone with a bs in a life sciences field was able to find work as a patent agent.

But, anyways, ignoring that for a minute, the salary will range from 50-100k, depending on firm size and location.

[Moosecakes]

Can you expand on that a bit please? Most places I've read people are saying don't even waste your time getting a MS/Phd to get a position as a patent agent. Thanks for the post!

[bleedingpen]

Life sciences clients are pushing for advanced degrees for their patent professionals.  The MS and PhD probably isn't worthwhile for EE, ME, CS, etc, but for life sciences, it seems to be a requirement.

Attorneys without advanced degrees in life sciences can't find employment now, I just can't image patent agents without advanced degrees fairing any better.

[Moosecakes]

Wow that is really striking to me. Thanks again for posting.

Anyone else care to chime in?

[virus_guy]

I know this wasn't your question, but I just to put it out there, I don't think it's a good idea to even consider getting a MS/PhD in bio for the sake of becoming a patent agent. That would be such overkill and you don't know whether you would like it or not. However, on the other hand, I think you would be hard-pressed to find a position as a bio patent agent with just a BS in bio. As mentioned earlier, law firms want PhD people for their bio practice because the clients want anyone touching their applications to be PhD-level. So if you have a PhD, you could potentially work as a scientific advisor or tech specialist or patent agent, but I wouldn't get a PhD just to do that. I know someone who got a BS in bio and a minor in chem, but that person also had a JD.

[Moosecakes]

Hmmm... Thanks for that post I appreciate it.

Any idea's where I can mesh my Bio BS (and no more schooling on top) with law? 

[virus_guy]

Without anymore schooling, you could potentially work as a paralegal. I used to work at a midsized boutique firm and I knew of some people with BS in bio who worked as paralegals for awhile. Some thought of it as a transitional step to law school, others as a trial to see if they like the field. At least one paralegal I knew eventually went into a financially-related legal area and another found out he/she didn't like patents at all and pursued something else entirely. But coming back, from what I knew about their day-to-day work, none of it required knowing anything about bio.

I'm sure you could eventually work as a patent agent with a BS once you have some experience under your belt and you still have the passion for it after all of that, but I foresee that you might not be able to move up career-wise anymore than that without either getting an advanced degree (read PhD) and/or a law degree, and you know my take about getting an advanced degree just for the sake of this job. If you love biology, then that's a different story.

[bleedingpen]

You could try getting a day job and then attending law school at night.  The industry experience from your day job will help to offset some of the stigma of just having a bachelors. 

[klaviernista]

Hmmm... Thanks for that post I appreciate it.

Any idea's where I can mesh my Bio BS (and no more schooling on top) with law? 

Ever consider tech transfer?

[Moosecakes]

Hmmm... Thanks for that post I appreciate it.

Any idea's where I can mesh my Bio BS (and no more schooling on top) with law? 

Ever consider tech transfer?

No, Have not but would love to! Can you explain a bit more what my chances are of landing a job like that? I've never heard of it so I am searching about it now. What kind of qualifications do I need? Am I good to go with my Bio bs?


Thanks again for the other two posters above, very very helpful I appreciate it!

[klaviernista]

Hmmm... Thanks for that post I appreciate it.

Any idea's where I can mesh my Bio BS (and no more schooling on top) with law? 

Ever consider tech transfer?

No, Have not but would love to! Can you explain a bit more what my chances are of landing a job like that? I've never heard of it so I am searching about it now. What kind of qualifications do I need? Am I good to go with my Bio bs?


Thanks again for the other two posters above, very very helpful I appreciate it!

Tech transfer is a more business oriented career.  It is essentially a merger of IP law and business.  A law degree is helpful, but not required.  A good understanding of business however, would be required.

Most universities that have a research arm have a tech transfer department.  Look at the tech transfer websites at MIT, University of Texas, UNC Chapel Hill, etc., and you will get a good idea of what they do (facilitating the "transfer" of research (technology) into the real wold through licensing or other means).

Most of the folks I have met in the tech transfer business got there by starting at the bottom with a university or by running one or more research startups. 

I think you would be fine with a BS in bio, provided you know enough about business and can "talk the talk" with research folks.