How to Apply to Patent and Trademark Office

12 min read Last updated April 20, 2026 7 open positions
Blake Crosley
Blake Crosley Researched using publicly available information, hiring data, and ATS analysis.

Key Takeaways

  • The USPTO is a fee-funded federal agency within the Department of Commerce, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, with approximately 14,000 employees and regional offices in Detroit, Denver, Dallas, and Silicon Valley.
  • Director John Squires was confirmed September 18, 2025, succeeding Acting Director Coke Morgan Stewart, who now serves as Deputy Director. The current leadership emphasizes expanded AI patent eligibility and direct Director oversight of PTAB institution decisions.
  • All USPTO hiring flows through USAJOBS.gov. The agency does not maintain a private ATS, and there is no shortcut around the federal application process.
  • U.S. citizenship is required for essentially all positions. Federal-style resumes (3-6 pages with required fields) and accurate self-rating questionnaires are mandatory.
  • Patent Examiner positions use an Open Continuous Announcement model with rolling cutoff dates throughout the fiscal year. Starting grades are typically GS-7, GS-9, or GS-11 with USPTO special pay rates and recruitment bonuses up to $30,000 for high-demand disciplines.
  • Trademark Examining Attorneys follow an 18-week structured hiring timeline including a writing sample and panel interview, with bar admission required within 14 months of hire.
  • USPTO offers one of the federal government's strongest telework programs, particularly for patent examiners, making it attractive for candidates outside the National Capital Region.
  • The hiring timeline from application to start date is typically 3-6 months, and the tentative-offer-to-final-offer gap (background investigation) should not be underestimated when planning career transitions.

About Patent and Trademark Office

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is a fee-funded federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, headquartered at the Madison Building in Alexandria, Virginia. With approximately 14,000 employees and an operating budget that has grown to nearly $5 billion, the USPTO is one of the largest intellectual property offices in the world. Its statutory mission, rooted in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, is to examine and grant patents for inventions and register trademarks for products and services, while advising the President and federal agencies on intellectual property policy. Leadership in the 2025–2026 period has shifted substantially. John A. Squires was confirmed by the Senate as Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO on September 18, 2025, by a 51–47 vote. Squires came from the private sector, having served as chief IP counsel at Goldman Sachs and most recently as chair of the Emerging Companies and IP practice at Dilworth Paxson. Coke Morgan Stewart, who served as Acting Director from January 2025 until Squires' confirmation, now serves as Deputy Under Secretary and Deputy Director. Their tenure has been defined by a pro-patent, pro-innovation posture: Director Squires has signaled expanded patent eligibility for AI-enabled inventions, reasserted direct Director control over Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) institution decisions, and pushed to reduce uncertainty under 35 U.S.C. Section 101. The USPTO operates from its Alexandria headquarters and four regional offices strategically located to tap regional talent and innovation ecosystems: the Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional Office in Detroit, Michigan; the Byron G. Rogers Federal Office Building location in Denver, Colorado; the Terry Masters Regional Office in Dallas, Texas; and the Silicon Valley Regional Office in San Jose, California. Each regional office employs patent examiners, judges, outreach staff, and a small administrative cadre, though the bulk of the agency's workforce remains based in the National Capital Region. For job seekers, the USPTO represents a unique federal employer: highly technical, deeply specialized, and more tolerant of remote and telework arrangements than nearly any other federal agency. Patent examiners have operated under one of the federal government's most generous telework programs for more than two decades, and this has not materially changed under the current administration's return-to-office directives to the same degree as other agencies. The USPTO's fee-funded model also insulates it somewhat from appropriations battles, though it remains subject to federal hiring freezes and broader workforce policy. Compensation follows the General Schedule (GS) pay scale with USPTO-specific special pay rates for patent and trademark positions. Patent examiners typically enter at GS-7, GS-9, or GS-11 depending on degree level and experience, with defined promotion ladders to GS-14 and non-supervisory GS-15 (Primary Examiner) grades. Trademark examining attorneys begin at GS-9 (pre-bar) or GS-11 (bar-admitted) and progress through GS-14. The agency routinely offers recruitment incentives for certain technical fields; recent Patent Examiner announcements have included recruitment bonuses up to $30,000 with multi-year service commitments.

Application Process

  1. 1
    Search USAJOBS

    Search USAJOBS.gov using agency code 'CM80' (Patent and Trademark Office) or keyword 'USPTO' to view all live openings. The USPTO posts the vast majority of positions to USAJOBS rather than its own careers page, and the public-facing USPTO.gov/jobs pages route applicants to USAJOBS for actual submission.

  2. 2
    Determine your track

    Determine your track. Patent Examiner roles are organized by technical discipline (Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics). Trademark Examining Attorney roles require a JD. Information Technology, Administrative Patent Judge, Administrative, and Financial Management roles each have their own announcement families.

  3. 3
    Confirm eligibility before investing time

    Confirm eligibility before investing time. U.S. citizenship is required for nearly every USPTO role. Background investigation, Selective Service registration (for male applicants), and a drug-free workplace certification are standard. Certain positions require public financial disclosure or higher clearance tiers.

  4. 4
    Build a federal-style resume

    Build a federal-style resume. Federal resumes are 3-6 pages, not the 1-2 page private sector norm. Include month-and-year dates, hours worked per week, full supervisor names and contact info, full GPA and transcripts for new graduates, and detailed narrative descriptions of duties with measurable outcomes. Generic private-sector resumes are routinely rated ineligible by human resources specialists applying OPM qualification standards.

  5. 5
    Answer the occupational questionnaire honestly and with evidence

    Answer the occupational questionnaire honestly and with evidence. USAJOBS uses self-rating questionnaires that feed into Category Rating (Best Qualified / Well Qualified / Qualified). Overstating self-ratings without narrative evidence in your resume causes disqualification during HR review. Every 'Expert' answer needs supporting bullet points in the resume.

  6. 6
    Submit transcripts and required documents before the cutoff

    Submit transcripts and required documents before the cutoff. Patent Examiner announcements require unofficial transcripts at the time of application; missing documents are a leading cause of rejection. Trademark Examining Attorney applications require a writing sample (typically requested in week 6 of the 18-week hiring timeline).

  7. 7
    Watch for Open Continuous Announcement (OCA) cutoff dates

    Watch for Open Continuous Announcement (OCA) cutoff dates. Patent Examiner announcements run as OCAs with rolling cutoff dates (typical 2026 cycle includes November 3, 2025; December 18, 2025; February 2, 2026; March 16, 2026; April 26, 2026; and a June 4, 2026 final closing). Applications received before each cutoff are adjudicated together. Applying early in a cycle does not advantage you over applying closer to the cutoff as long as you apply before it.

  8. 8
    Complete onboarding and background investigation

    Complete onboarding and background investigation. Once selected, expect a tentative offer conditional on security clearance, drug test, fingerprinting, and in rare cases medical screening. The investigation typically takes 60-120 days for Public Trust positions. Do not resign from your current role until you receive the final (not tentative) offer.

  9. 9
    Attend new examiner training

    Attend new examiner training. New Patent Examiners complete the Patent Training Academy, an 8-month program that combines classroom instruction with supervised examination. New Trademark Examining Attorneys enter a structured 2-year probationary period with formal mentoring.

Resume Tips for Patent and Trademark Office

recommended

Write a federal resume, not a private-sector resume

Write a federal resume, not a private-sector resume. Federal resumes are longer (3-6 pages), more detailed, and must include data that private-sector resumes omit: supervisor contact info, hours per week, exact grade level for prior federal service, and full GPA for recent graduates. USAJOBS has a resume builder that enforces this format.

recommended

Quantify examination-relevant experience

Quantify examination-relevant experience. If you have research, engineering, or scientific experience, translate it into the language of patent examination: prior art research, technical writing, claim analysis, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and rigorous documentation. For trademark attorneys, emphasize legal writing, trademark or IP coursework, and any journal or moot court credentials.

recommended

Match the announcement's specialized experience statement word-for-word where tr

Match the announcement's specialized experience statement word-for-word where truthful. OPM specialized experience language (e.g., 'one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level') is scored literally by HR specialists. Mirror the job announcement language in your resume bullets without fabricating.

recommended

For Patent Examiner applications, list every STEM course with grade

For Patent Examiner applications, list every STEM course with grade. Degree eligibility for examiner positions is assessed against the specific art unit. A BS in Computer Science applying for a Biomedical Engineering examiner role needs supporting coursework listed to demonstrate qualifying credit hours. Transcript is mandatory; resume course listing accelerates screening.

recommended

Include bar admission status clearly for Trademark Attorney applications

Include bar admission status clearly for Trademark Attorney applications. If you are pre-admission, state expected sit date and jurisdiction. If admitted, list jurisdiction, admission date, and good-standing status. You have 14 months post-hire to complete bar admission.

recommended

Avoid resume inflation on the self-assessment questionnaire

Avoid resume inflation on the self-assessment questionnaire. Claiming 'Expert' proficiency on a skill must be supported by concrete bullets in the resume. HR specialists compare your resume narrative to your questionnaire responses and adjust or disqualify for inconsistencies.

recommended

For IT and technical non-examiner roles, emphasize federal frameworks

For IT and technical non-examiner roles, emphasize federal frameworks. Familiarity with FedRAMP, FISMA, NIST 800-53, Section 508 accessibility, and Zero Trust architecture is highly valued. Open-source contributions and cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, GCP) transfer well to USPTO's modernization roadmap.

recommended

Do not use a photo, date of birth, marital status, or nationality other than U

Do not use a photo, date of birth, marital status, or nationality other than U.S. citizenship attestation. These are inappropriate on federal resumes and can flag your application.

recommended

Run your resume through ResumeGeni's ATS checker before submission

Run your resume through ResumeGeni's ATS checker before submission. USAJOBS uses a structured parser combined with keyword matching against the announcement. Missing required phrases such as degree completion date, citizenship, and specialized experience duration causes automatic disqualification. ResumeGeni's tailored resume tool can map your experience to a specific USAJOBS announcement.

ATS System: USAJOBS (powered by Monster Government Solutions / USA Staffing)

USPTO does not operate a private applicant tracking system. All recruitment flows through USAJOBS, the federal government's official job portal, which is built on Monster Government Solutions infrastructure and feeds into USA Staffing (operated by OPM) for applicant adjudication and certification. HR specialists review resumes against OPM qualification standards and Category Rating rules (5 U.S.C. 3319). The system parses resume text, stores uploaded documents (transcripts, DD-214, SF-50, writing samples), and scores applicants against self-rating questionnaires. Unlike private ATSs, USAJOBS does not automatically reject resumes based on keyword density; a human HR specialist makes the final eligibility and rating determination.

  • Use the USAJOBS Resume Builder rather than uploading a PDF where possible. The Builder normalizes formatting and ensures all required federal fields (hours/week, supervisor, salary) are captured.
  • Upload all required documents in the accepted formats before the announcement closes. Missing documents are the single largest cause of ineligibility. Transcripts, DD-214 for veterans, and writing samples must each be attached, not combined.
  • Answer every questionnaire item; skipped items are scored as zero. Re-read the announcement's 'How You Will Be Evaluated' section to understand which responses are disqualifying versus scored.
  • Claim veterans' preference correctly. 5-point (TP), 10-point compensable (CP, CPS), and 30% or more disabled veteran (XP) preferences affect ranking materially. Upload a legible DD-214 Member-4 copy and, where applicable, VA disability letter.
  • Track your application status inside USAJOBS. Status transitions from 'Received' to 'Reviewed' to 'Referred' to 'Selected' or 'Not Selected'. Reaching 'Referred' means you made the Certificate of Eligibles and your resume is in front of the selecting official.
  • Save every application as a PDF after submission. USAJOBS retains submissions for a limited window, and you will want proof of what you submitted for future reference.

Interview Culture

The USPTO interview process is shaped by federal merit-system rules first and agency culture second.

Once your application is rated eligible and you are referred to the hiring manager on a Certificate of Eligibles, the process becomes more conventional, but it retains a federal structure that private-sector candidates often find deliberate and procedural. For Patent Examiner roles, the interview is typically a single structured panel lasting 45-90 minutes. Panelists usually include a Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE), one or two Primary Examiners from the relevant art unit, and occasionally a representative from the Office of Patent Training. Questions assess technical depth in the discipline (expect to be asked to walk through how a technology you studied works at a graduate level), motivation for the role (examiners work in a production-driven environment with strict count and pendency expectations), and fit with telework and independent work (examiners spend most days examining applications alone). Whiteboard technical exercises are rare but occasional. You will not be asked to read a real patent application or draft an Office Action; that comes during the 8-month Patent Training Academy. For Trademark Examining Attorney roles, the 18-week hiring process includes a writing sample submission around week 6, followed by panel interviews in weeks 13-16 with senior examining attorneys, managing attorneys, and sometimes a deputy commissioner. Interviews probe legal reasoning (Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure familiarity, analysis of likelihood-of-confusion factors, understanding of use-in-commerce requirements), written communication (critical for a job that produces office actions read by attorneys), and capacity to handle large docket volumes independently. For Administrative Patent Judge roles (PTAB), interviews are more rigorous and typically multi-round, reflecting the seniority (GS-15 equivalent or SES) of the position. Expect deep questioning on patent law doctrine, recent PTAB decisions, claim construction philosophy, and judicial temperament. For IT and administrative roles, interviews follow standard federal structured interview format: a panel asks each candidate the same set of behavioral and situational questions, scored against a rubric. STAR method responses (Situation, Task, Action, Result) are explicitly requested in many announcements. Culturally, USPTO is unusually technical for a federal agency, which means conversations skew substantive rather than bureaucratic. Examiners are proud of the craft of examination, and interviewers respond well to candidates who demonstrate genuine curiosity about the technical domain rather than treating the role as a stepping stone. Telework normalcy means many interviews are conducted by video, particularly for regional office or fully remote positions. The agency uses Microsoft Teams as its standard collaboration platform. Post-interview, selecting officials must document their selection rationale and submit it to HR for a final review. Expect 2-6 weeks between interview and tentative offer, then another 60-120 days for background investigation clearance before the final offer.

What Patent and Trademark Office Looks For

  • Demonstrated technical depth in a qualifying STEM discipline (Patent Examiner) or demonstrated legal analysis and writing skill (Trademark Attorney). Shallow generalists are screened out quickly at the resume stage; the USPTO hires specialists.
  • Independent work capacity. Examiners and examining attorneys operate on production counts and docket deadlines with minimal day-to-day supervision. The agency actively selects for people who self-direct and meet quantified output targets without prompting.
  • Clear technical writing. Patent examiners draft Office Actions that must withstand appeal; trademark attorneys draft refusals and acceptances read by sophisticated outside counsel. Poor writing signals poor examination, and the agency screens for clarity in resumes and writing samples.
  • Commitment to public service and the USPTO mission. Unlike private practice, the role serves inventors and the public interest, not a client. Interviewers distinguish between candidates who want a federal job generically and those who specifically want to examine patents or trademarks.
  • Comfort with metrics and production expectations. Patent examiners have count-based production targets tied to GS grade and art unit; falling below sustained production risks performance action. The agency looks for candidates who have thrived in quantified environments (academic research output, billable hours, engineering deliverables).
  • Federal-service readiness. Understanding that onboarding takes months, that moving between agencies requires an SF-50, and that federal benefits (FEHB, TSP, FERS) take time to understand. Candidates who treat federal employment as 'just another job' often flame out in probation.
  • Professional licensure where required. Trademark Examining Attorneys must complete bar admission within 14 months. Administrative Patent Judges must be registered patent practitioners. IT specialists benefit from clearances and federal compliance certifications.
  • No disqualifying issues in background investigation. Federal employment requires favorable background determination. Recent illegal drug use, undisclosed foreign contacts, significant unresolved debt, or material misrepresentations in the application are common disqualifiers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the current Director of the USPTO?
John A. Squires is the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, confirmed by the Senate on September 18, 2025 by a 51-47 vote. He succeeded Acting Director Coke Morgan Stewart, who had led the agency since January 20, 2025 and now serves as Deputy Under Secretary and Deputy Director. Director Squires previously served as chief IP counsel at Goldman Sachs and as chair of the Emerging Companies and IP practice at Dilworth Paxson.
Do I need to be a U.S. citizen to work at the USPTO?
Yes, essentially all USPTO positions require U.S. citizenship. The agency handles sensitive intellectual property information affecting national economic security, and most announcements are restricted to U.S. citizens under federal personnel law. A small number of contractor and student-specific arrangements may have different rules, but for federal employee positions posted on USAJOBS, citizenship is a threshold requirement.
What degree do I need to become a Patent Examiner?
You need a bachelor's degree (or higher) in a qualifying STEM discipline. Exact qualifying fields depend on the art unit: Biomedical Engineering positions accept degrees in biomedical engineering, biology, chemistry, and related fields; Electrical Engineering positions accept EE, CS, physics, and related fields; Chemistry positions accept chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, and related fields. Each USAJOBS announcement lists qualifying degrees explicitly. Master's and PhD holders generally enter at GS-9 or GS-11 rather than GS-7.
What is the starting salary for a Patent Examiner in 2026?
Patent Examiners receive USPTO Patent Special Rates in addition to base General Schedule pay. In 2026, entry-level salaries in the Alexandria, VA locality start at approximately $57,000-$86,000 for GS-7 and $58,000-$89,000 for GS-9, with GS-11 starting higher. Salaries are higher in San Jose and other high-cost localities. Many Patent Examiner (Computer Science) announcements offer a $30,000 recruitment bonus for new federal hires with a 48-month service commitment, paid in installments tied to grade promotions.
How long does the USPTO hiring process take?
From application submission to start date, plan for 3-6 months. Patent Examiner Open Continuous Announcements adjudicate applications after each cutoff date and refer qualified candidates within a few weeks. Interviews typically occur 4-8 weeks after the cutoff. After interview selection, a tentative offer is followed by a 60-120 day background investigation before the final offer and start date. Trademark Examining Attorney roles follow a documented 18-week hiring timeline from announcement close to final selection, plus the background investigation period.
Does the USPTO allow telework?
Yes. The USPTO has one of the most mature telework programs in the federal government, dating back to 1997 for patent examiners. Most examiners participate in some form of telework, ranging from hybrid schedules to fully remote arrangements depending on tenure and performance. Regional office positions require residence within the commuting area. Administrative and IT positions vary by specific role and current executive-branch telework guidance. Always confirm the current telework provisions in the specific USAJOBS announcement; policy has fluctuated with federal-wide directives.
What is an Open Continuous Announcement (OCA)?
An Open Continuous Announcement is a federal vacancy announcement that stays open for an extended period (often 6-12 months) with multiple application cutoff dates. The USPTO uses OCAs for high-volume Patent Examiner hiring. Applications received before each cutoff are adjudicated as a batch and referred to selecting officials. If you are not selected in one batch, your application remains in the system for consideration in future cutoffs within the same announcement, though you may need to refresh your submission to confirm continued interest.
Do I need to pass the patent bar to become a Patent Examiner?
No. You do not need to pass the patent bar (USPTO Registration Examination) to be hired as a Patent Examiner. After working at the USPTO for a qualifying period (typically 4 years of full-time examination), you become eligible to register as a patent practitioner without sitting for the exam under the Limited Recognition provisions. If you leave the USPTO before qualifying, you would need to pass the patent bar to practice before the Office.
What is the difference between a Patent Examiner and a Trademark Examining Attorney?
A Patent Examiner evaluates patent applications for novelty, non-obviousness, utility, and statutory subject matter under the Patent Act. The role requires a STEM bachelor's degree and does not require a law degree. A Trademark Examining Attorney evaluates trademark applications for registrability under the Lanham Act (including likelihood of confusion and descriptiveness analyses). The role requires a JD and bar admission within 14 months of hire. The two roles sit in separate operating units (Patents vs. Trademarks) with different supervisors, production metrics, and career ladders.
Can I apply to the USPTO from outside the Washington D.C. area?
Yes. The USPTO hires into four regional offices (Detroit, Denver, Dallas, San Jose) in addition to Alexandria, Virginia headquarters. Many Patent Examiner positions are also eligible for fully remote work after an initial training period. Check the 'Duty Location' field on each USAJOBS announcement carefully; some announcements specify Alexandria only, others list multiple eligible locations, and still others are location-flexible. Regional office positions generally require you to live within commuting distance of that office.
What happens if I'm not selected after applying?
If you are rated ineligible, you will receive a notification in USAJOBS explaining the basis (usually insufficient specialized experience, missing documents, or education not qualifying for the position). If you are rated eligible but not selected from the Certificate of Eligibles, you will receive a 'Not Selected' notification. You can apply to the next cutoff of the same Open Continuous Announcement (refreshing your application if needed), apply to other USPTO announcements, or explore other federal agencies that hire in similar fields. A non-selection does not disqualify you from future USPTO consideration.

Open Positions

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Sources

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  2. Become a trademark examining attorney | USPTO —
  3. Trademark Examining Attorney Hiring Timeline | USPTO —
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