Latest Salary Research Shows a Buoyant Intellectual Property Market Despite the Challenges of the Past 12 Months
Dawn Ellmore Employment has recently finalised its annual salary guide and, in what has undoubtedly been a challenging year for the Intellectual Property profession, we are pleased to be able to report that the IP and Legal markets remain buoyant, with many new opportunities continuing to become available.
Our research shows that salaries have remained strong despite the difficult market conditions, with most positions being offered with an increased starting salary compared to the 2020 figures. This is evident in all aspects and levels of patent and trade mark attorney work, for IP solicitors, technical support staff, paralegals, IP specific support staff and business support staff including accounts and billing, HR and facilities staff.
New entrants into the patent and trade mark professions can earn up to £36,000 as a trainee patent attorney and up to £34,000 as a trainee trade mark attorney. The earning potential for IP attorneys and solicitors once qualified remains very healthy – for example, patent attorneys who have gained up to 4 years’ post qualification experience can now look to earn up to £95,000 as a basic salary, whilst trade mark attorneys at the same level may receive £82,000.
The salary ranges for support staff, both in IP specific roles and business support functions, have also displayed a steady upwards movement, both in London and for regional positions in the UK. Records and Formalities Managers can look to earn up to £95,000 in London and up to £70,000 regionally, whereas highly experienced legal secretaries can see their experience rewarded with a basic salary of at least £50,000 in London and £40,000 regionally.
In addition to this, many employers are embracing agile working, and we are seeing many new instructions offering the option to work remotely. It is pleasing to see how the IP profession has evolved to cope with the challenges that have been thrown up over the past 12 months, and current indications show that the market will remain strong over the coming months.
Our full salary guide for 2021 can be downloaded via our website.
