As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Principal Patent Attorney in California is $284,010. According to Salary.com, salaries can range from a low of $242,783 to a high of $320,079, with most professionals earning between $262,430 and $302,890.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $302,890 | $25,241 | $5,825 | $146 |
| Average | $284,010 | $23,668 | $5,462 | $137 |
| 25th Percentile | $262,430 | $21,869 | $5,047 | $126 |
An entry-level Principal Patent Attorney with under 1 year experience makes about $270,809. With less than 2 years of experience, a mid-level Principal Patent Attorney makes around $272,741. After 2-4 years, the Principal Patent Attorney pay rises to about $274,351. Those senior Principal Patent Attorney with 5-8 years of experience earn roughly $276,927, and those Principal Patent Attorney having 8 years or more experience are expected to earn about $280,147 on average.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Principal Patent Attorney | $270,809 |
| Intermediate Level Principal Patent Attorney | $272,741 |
| Senior Level Principal Patent Attorney | $274,351 |
| Specialist Level Principal Patent Attorney | $276,927 |
| Expert Level Principal Patent Attorney | $280,147 |
| Entry Level | 5% |
| Mid Level | 6% |
| Senior Level | 7% |
| Top Level | 8% |
| Experienced | 9% |
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Principal Patent Attorney salary varies from city to city. Compared with national average salary of Principal Patent Attorney, the highest Principal Patent Attorney salary is in San Francisco, CA, where the Principal Patent Attorney salary is 24.9% above. The lowest Principal Patent Attorney salary is in Miami, FL, where the Principal Patent Attorney salary is 3.9% lower than national average salary.
| City, State | Price | Compared to national average |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $321,570 |
24.9%
|
| Washington, DC | $285,090 |
10.7%
|
| Miami, FL | $247,390 |
|
| Chicago, IL | $266,090 |
3.3%
|
| Boston, MA | $287,170 |
11.5%
|
| New York, NY | $298,400 |
15.9%
|
