Also called: USPTO Patent Examiner
Works for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office deciding whether new inventions are truly new enough to get a patent.
Examiners read invention applications in their science specialty, from robot arms to cancer drugs, search earlier patents and papers for anything similar, and write up why a claim does or doesn't qualify. Many work fully from home after training. You need a science or engineering degree, not a law degree.
Federal GS pay with special patent-examiner rates; most reach six figures within a few years. Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in engineering, computer science, or a hard science; USPTO trains you.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Chemistry, Biology, Mechanical Engineering.
Growing about average. Hiring depends on USPTO budgets and application volume.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. The patent office already uses AI search tools; examiners may handle more applications each, so fewer new hires per filing.
Classes: AP Physics or Chemistry, AP Calculus, Computer science, AP English Language.
Official data: O*NET occupation 23-2099.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.