Patent Agent - Remote Contract Prosecution
Listing checked October 14, 2026 · pay as published by AfterQuery
Overview
AfterQuery builds expert evaluation data that frontier AI labs use to test model judgment in professional work. The company hires USPTO registered patent agents as contractors to author and grade the patent prosecution scenarios those evaluations run on. You will create realistic prosecution scenarios that move from prior art analysis through claim drafting and office action responses. The work also involves writing reference answers that show the legal and technical reasoning behind each decision. The role runs remote and async, with hours you set each week above a 10-hour minimum.
What You'll Do4
- 1Create realistic patent prosecution scenarios that begin with prior art analysis and extend through claim drafting and office action responses.
- 2Write reference answers that explain the legal and technical reasoning behind each prosecution decision.
- 3Grade model output on claim quality, procedural soundness, and technical accuracy.
- 4Flag drafting that reads plausible but would fail at the USPTO.
Requirements8
- 1Registration to practice before the USPTO as a patent agent or patent attorney.
- 2At least 2 years of patent prosecution experience.
- 3Depth in claim drafting, office action responses, and prior art analysis.
- 4Clear written English for documenting legal and technical reasoning.
- 5Availability for at least 10 hours per week.
- 6Advanced degree in engineering or the sciences.
- 7Experience across multiple technology areas.
- 8Background training or mentoring junior patent drafters.
Who Should Apply
The ideal candidate holds USPTO registration and brings at least two years of patent prosecution work, with hands-on depth in claim drafting, office action responses, and prior art analysis. You write clear English and can explain the legal and technical reasoning behind a prosecution choice. The role suits agents who want ongoing contract work and can commit 10 or more hours each week. Candidates without USPTO registration, or those with fewer than two years of prosecution experience, tend to score low on fit. Applications also lose points when they list technical fields without concrete examples, since the credential questions ask which fields you prosecute.
Salary Insight
The listing shows $107.50/hr and describes a $90 to $125/hr band based on your experience. AfterQuery pays through Stripe each week and sets your rate from your background rather than negotiating it down after you start. For patent agents with USPTO registration and prosecution depth, that range matches specialized contract work for AI evaluation projects. Independent contractor status means no benefits or tax withholding, so account for that when comparing the rate to a full-time salary.
Pay and demand for AI Training roles
AggregatedTypical pay
$70/hour
This role
$108/hr
Most AI Training roles pay $39–$98 per hour. This role's pay sits above that range.
Based on 988 similar roles that publish pay · 300 publish only a top rate; those count at the rate they gave
Rates shown per hour. Yearly and monthly pay converted; one-time fees and non-USD pay are not included.
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Most requested skills · share of roles
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Compensation
$108/hr
Required Skills
Application Tip
State your USPTO registration number and name the technical fields you prosecute, since the application asks for both. Add concrete numbers for your prosecution work, such as how many office action responses you drafted or claims you wrote, because fit scoring weighs depth in claim drafting and prior art analysis. If you reach the written assessment, show your reasoning step by step so reviewers can see how you judge procedural soundness and technical accuracy.
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