2025 Report of the Economic Survey February 2026

AIPLA is excited to announce the launch of 2025 Report of the Economic Survey, offering in-depth insights into the latest trends shaping the IP profession. This year’s report includes the usual comprehensive data on salaries, bonuses, hourly rates, and typical charges for law services and litigation costs, along with new additions and breakdowns that shed light on the evolving landscape of IP practice.

Notably, a new question was introduced in this year’s survey, exploring inventor incentives by corporate entities. The report also breaks down typical charges for patent and trademark prosecution tasks, asking practitioners whether they charge flat rates or bill by the hour for each task and providing the percentage breakdown and average costs. The results reveal a growing contrast between practitioners who charge a flat rate versus those who opt for hourly billing.

An interesting trend observed this year is that while overall income for most practitioners has remained largely flat compared to two years ago, hourly rates have increased, likely reflecting the inflationary pressures experienced over the past few years.

AIPLA would like to thank Sarah Knight and John Gorecki, 2025 Chair and Vice-Chair of the Law Practice Management Committee, Ryan Dean, the 2025 Economic Survey Subcommittee Chair, and Bea Swedlow, the Board Liaison for their hard work in putting this publication together. We are pleased to continue bringing you this valuable member benefit. We hope that you find the Report a useful reference tool in your practice.

The AIPLA Report of the Economic Survey is a members-only benefit. Be sure your membership is current to access this issue and others online. You will be required to login to the AIPLA website to view the document.

All AIPLA members receive free digital access of the Report at the time of publication and can also purchase a downloadable file or print copy shipped for a fee. We are currently accepting pre-orders for print copies of the Report. To purchase a print copy, please either use the AIPLA online store or submit a completed order form. Print copies will be shipped as soon as they are available.