Senior paralegal billing higher than junior patent agent???
I am a junior patent agent (<3 yr exp) recently lateraled to a lower-tier am100 firm. I was reviewing a client invoice and saw everyone's billing rates and was honestly a little shooketh to find out that the senior paralegal in my practice group is billing higher than me. My rates are ~$400/hr and there are 2 senior paralegals (one has 8-10 yr exp; one has >10 yr) are $435/hr and $450/hr each.
I thought it was wild because this was not the case at my last firm. The most senior paralegals bill under $300/hr at my last firm. Most of them bill at ~$200/hr. That said, I was at a mid-sized boutique not ranked am100. My billing rate also actually decreased after moving to a bottom-tier biglaw????
I guess I am concerned because I feel like my salary is higher than the senior paralegals but my billing rate is lower. My base is ~$170k/yr and it's just difficult to imagine any paralegal making more than that. In this case, my billing rates are lower and it'd be easier to make a case against me because of the margin/net benefits (how much billed to client vs. how much I make). The paralegals, on the other hand, are paid a smaller salary but are billed so high. So their profit margin will look better than mine.
Anyway, also just generally baffled and don't understand why firms do this?????? Does this make sense to clients??? A patent practitioner billing lower than paralegals?????
EDITED: My salary is higher but my billing rate is lower. I don't think I need to be paid more but I don't understand why firms pay me more but bill me lower. Otherwise for paralegals. Genuine practice question.