Under Secretary of Commerce For Intellectual Property - Overview

Overview

As the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Under Secretary is responsible for administering laws relevant to granting patents and trademarks, and for the day-to-day management of the agency's $1.7 billion budget and more than 8,000 employees. The Under Secretary is also obligated to conduct programs and studies regarding intellectual property, and to conduct cooperative programs with other foreign intellectual property offices.

With the rank of Under Secretary, the USC(IP) is a Level III position within the Executive Schedule. Since January 2010, the annual rate of pay for Level III is $165,300.