Japanese IP attorney's Income in 2021

Some people say that Japanese Patents are most expensive in the world.
I heard this kind of comments so many from US attorneys.
In the fact, the filing costs in Japan are getting cheaper and cheaper during past 15 years.
Here is the good example, the yearly income of JP attorneys in IP fields are suffering an income down on the whole.

When I became JP Patent Attorney in 1990s, Patent Attorney was listed in the high-income taxpayer.
An average yearly income of the first-year attorney with no experiences were more than 10 M JPY (100K USD).
I saw those articles at my university age, then I decided to be an IP attorney…

More than 100K USD for no experience lawyers

People may say that it is suspicious story to get 100 K USD yearly income for no experience attorneys in 1990s.
However, I believed that story since the passing rate of an IP attorney were less than 3%.
That is, IP bar in Japan was super difficult exam at that time.
JP Patent Attorneys were very much in demand 30 years ago in Japan but the bar holders were very very limited.

400K – 500K USD sales amounts

In 1990s, an individual average income of JP Patent Attorneys were calculated from their sales amounts.
I think that is same thing in US Law Firms.
The 30-50% of sales amounts were very popular for individual income in the IP business.

Then, raguly, 1990s JP Patent Attorneys could get 400K – 500K USD sales amounts per person and their salary would be 130K – 250K.
Not so bad!
Right now, it is very tall order to get 200K USD sales amounts per person, unfortunately.
In the past decade, Patent Attorney Fees in Japan are getting down so much.

Big Change Patent Fee Schedules in Japan

The Patent Fee Schedules in Japan had gone down almost half.
The clients in Japan do not want to pay same charges for IP practices to JP Patent Attorneys.
Thus, the individual average income of JP Patent Attorneys were down as well until half.

The current average income must be around 60K – 70 K USD.
I think 70 K USD is not so bad because Japanese average salaries in all fields are also getting down.
Based on OECD statistics during 2000 to 2018, almost countries were ever-increasing but not Japan.
US got 60% increase, Germany is 40 % and South Korea successfully became double.

Not only outside law firm Patent Attorneys, JP in-house Patent Attorneys are facing down salary trends too.
I started my career as JP Patent Attorney at JP big company.
I was in-house Patent Attorney.
I could got addition income every month and my company paid me for my JPAA training cost as well.

Right now, it is not easy to get same financial support from JP companies.
We need to pay 3K USD for attorney registrations and 200 USD for monthly JPAA membership fee.
Some people decided no register as Patent Attorneys even though they passed the patent bar because their expenses become huge and no supports by their companies.

I think you should this economy trends in Japan and try to push cost down to your JP Attorneys more aggressive.

One Stop Asian IPs
Masuvalley and Partners