How to become a patent examiner | Salary, skills, requirements

Patent examiners use scientific, technical and legal expertise to decide whether inventions qualify for patent protection

As a patent examiner, you'll assess patent applications for inventions to decide if they can be granted a patent. You'll do this by checking that an invention is new, unique, clear and inventive and not merely an adjustment to something that already exists by searching patent databases and examining applications for any legal issues.

A patent gives inventors the right to prevent other parties from using or copying their invention for up to five years. After five years, it must be renewed annually, up to a maximum of 20 years, for it to remain in force.

Patent examiners work for either the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) or the European Patent Office (EPO) which assess applications from a range of sectors from chemical compounds to the latest technological devices. The area you work in will largely be decided by your qualifications and experience.

What does a patent examiner do?

As a patent examiner, you'll need to:

investigate each application to determine that the invention is described clearly and in such a way that a skilled person would be able to use it
examine the invention from a technical standpoint
search through earlier publications, technical literature and online databases of UK and foreign patent specifications to make sure that the application is new
consider legal matters affecting acceptability and entitlement of the applicant
gather information to judge the originality of an invention
prepare an initial report and give the results of your search to the applicant or, more usually, a patent attorney, who then decides whether to proceed to the second stage of the application
make a final decision as to the novelty of an invention, which is written in a final report
discuss and negotiate with the applicant and patent attorney to resolve any matters raised in the final report
maintain up-to-date knowledge of developments through study and visits to laboratories, factories, exhibitions and seminars.

Patent examiners at the EPO may also be involved in opposition procedures, which occur when a European patent has been granted and is then opposed by a third party (usually a competitor).

How much does a patent examiner earn?

Salaries for associate patent examiners at the IPO range from £36,095 to £37,049 a year. The maximum salary includes a recruitment and retention allowance of £3,279.
With experience you can earn between £40,000 and £60,000 per year.
Senior examiners can potentially earn up to £80,000.
Salaries for patent examiners at the EPO follow a grading system and vary depending on your experience. Patent examiner basic monthly salaries (grades 7 to 10) are around €7,076 (£6,049) to €10,164 (£8,689). This figure is after the deduction of the EPO internal tax and before deduction of staff contributions to the social security and pension schemes.

Additional benefits for IPO jobs include a generous pension scheme, family-friendly policies, opportunities for secondments, discounted membership of various clubs, and eligibility for special and office-wide bonus payments.

EPO salaries and allowances are covered by the EPO's internal tax system and are exempt from national income tax.

The EPO package includes relocation benefits and various allowances (e.g. household, dependants, childcare, education, expatriation, installation, rent allowance), family-friendly benefits, contributory medical insurance and pension schemes, free gym access and social activities and clubs.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

How many hours does a patent examiner work?

A standard working week at the IPO is 37 hours (7 hours and 24 minutes a day) excluding lunch breaks. The IPO operates a flexible working system with no core hours, where you can work any time between 5am to 10pm. There may be opportunities for part-time and hybrid working but freelance work is not possible.

The main IPO office is based in Newport, South Wales, although there is also a small office in London. If you work for the EPO as a patent examiner, you must be willing to relocate to Munich, The Hague or Berlin.

The EPO working week is 40 hours and they offer a range of flexible working arrangements, including part-time work, home working (with a minimum onsite attendance) and flexitime.

How do I become a patent examiner?

To work as a patent examiner for the IPO, you'll need a 2:2 degree or above in science, engineering, mathematics, telecommunications, computer science or a related field. Alternatively, you can apply if you have substantial industrial experience in a relevant technical field at an equivalent level.

Job adverts will state the disciplines that are being recruited for, so you'll need to look out for jobs that relate to your area of expertise.

You don't need legal experience before joining the IPO as you'll be trained in the relevant legal and practical skills once you're in post.

During the recruitment process, you will be assessed on your behaviours, experience and technical skills.

You can find out more about the role, through:

To work for the EPO, you'll need to be a citizen of one of the member states of the European Patent Organisation and have a Masters degree (or equivalent) in physics, chemistry, engineering or natural sciences. You'll also need excellent knowledge of one of the three official languages (English, French and German) and a working knowledge of the other two. Alternatively, you will need excellent knowledge of English and a willingness to learn the other two languages and reach a certain standard within a set time frame.

For more information on how to become a patent examiner at the EPO, see Work as a patent examiner.

Key skills for a patent examiner

You'll need to have:

the ability to apply scientific and technical knowledge to patent law concepts
strong oral and written communication skills to explain complex technical and legal arguments and justify whether a patent should be granted
resilience when challenged by applicants during the patent process and by colleagues during training
IT skills to search databases and check the originality of inventions
flexible thinking and the capacity to grasp unfamiliar concepts
interpersonal skills to work effectively with colleagues and applicants and process patent applications efficiently.

Patent examiner work experience

Relevant industrial experience is helpful, but it doesn't need to involve patents or patent documentation.

The EPO offers a limited number of internships, including the Pan-European Seal Young Professionals Programme.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Who employs patent examiners?

You'll usually work for either the IPO or the EPO.

The IPO is the UK government body responsible for intellectual property rights, which includes patents, trademarks, registered designs and copyright. It employs around 1,600 staff in Newport (and a small office in London), including over 400 patent examiners.

The EPO is the executive arm of the European Patent Organisation, an international organisation with 40 member states. It provides a uniform application procedure for individual inventors and companies seeking patent protection in up to 46 European countries. It employs over 4,000 patent examiners and has around 6,300 staff in total of 35 different nationalities.

The EPO headquarters are in Munich, but it also has a branch in The Hague, as well as offices in Berlin and Vienna, and a liaison office in Brussels. Patent examiners are based in Munich, Berlin and The Hague.

Look for job vacancies at:

Where can a career in patent examination lead?

The IPO trains new recruits through mentoring, technical courses, on-the-job learning and instruction in the role's legal aspects.

An initial seven or eight-week course covers patent law and how to search and examine patent applications and reports, using seminars, demonstrations, coursework and tutorials.

After this, you'll join an examination group and work on live cases under a senior patent examiner. You'll typically spend two to five years as an associate before becoming a patent examiner, with further development leading to senior examiner, subject expert and divisional leadership roles.

Progression to senior examiner is non-competitive and based on performance, while deputy director and more senior roles are competitive.

You'll usually specialise in an area such as cybersecurity, biotechnology, telecommunications or electrical engineering, with opportunities to change subject area, train in line or general management and move to other government offices.

The EPO's two-year programme combines classroom learning and individual coaching, with work on real patent applications from day one.

Training covers computer tools, databases, search methods, examination procedures and legal and practical skills. Language training is available if you aren't proficient in all three official languages: English, French and German.

You may then receive a fixed-term contract of up to five years, with the possibility of a permanent contract based on performance.

Experienced examiners may become senior experts or team managers, tutor or train others, or undertake short-term international missions. Further opportunities are available through the EPO Talent Academy.

Throughout your career, you'll need to keep abreast of research and technical and legal developments through specialist qualifications, language or technical training, seminars, courses and visits to companies and trade fairs.