Best Jobs in America

CNNMoney/PayScale's top 100 careers with big growth, great pay and satisfying work.

49. Patent Attorney
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Patent Attorney
49
Median pay: $175,000
Top pay: $260,000
10-year job growth: 10.1%
Total jobs*: 728,200

What they do all day? These lawyers help clients patent ideas and provide advice on licensing and litigation against possible copycats.

How to get the job?

What's great? What's not? --J.A.

What they do all day? These lawyers help clients patent ideas and provide advice on licensing and litigation against possible copycats. --J.A.

Quality of life ratings:
  • Personal satisfaction: C
  • Benefit to society: B
  • Flexibility: A
  • Low stress: A
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*Total jobs is estimated number of people working in broader BLS 'job family.'

Sources: PayScale.com, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and CNNMoney research

Do Patent Attorneys have great jobs, or what? Are these great jobs, or what?
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How we picked the best jobs
It's still a tough job market, so when CNNMoney, in partnership with data from PayScale.com, set out to find America's Best Jobs this year, first and foremost we looked for professions that offer great growth opportunities.

Other big factors: pay (how strong it is now, and how fast it's growing), overall job satisfaction, and how many jobs are in the field overall.
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