diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 07f7984aa970..89d071ccc605 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 
 ### Fixes
 
-- `[jest-resolve]` add global paths to `require.resolve.paths` ([#13633](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/13633))
+- `[@jest/expect-utils]` `toMatchObject` should handle `Symbol` properties ([#13639](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/13639))
+- `[jest-resolve]` Add global paths to `require.resolve.paths` ([#13633](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/13633))
 
 ### Chore & Maintenance
 
diff --git a/packages/expect-utils/src/utils.ts b/packages/expect-utils/src/utils.ts
index 66394ac071cf..5f11d9c306c2 100644
--- a/packages/expect-utils/src/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/expect-utils/src/utils.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ type GetPath = {
 /**
  * Checks if `hasOwnProperty(object, key)` up the prototype chain, stopping at `Object.prototype`.
  */
-const hasPropertyInObject = (object: object, key: string): boolean => {
+const hasPropertyInObject = (object: object, key: string | symbol): boolean => {
   const shouldTerminate =
     !object || typeof object !== 'object' || object === Object.prototype;
 
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ export const subsetEquality = (
         return undefined;
       }
 
-      return Object.keys(subset).every(key => {
+      return Reflect.ownKeys(subset).every(key => {
         if (isObjectWithKeys(subset[key])) {
           if (seenReferences.has(subset[key])) {
             return equals(object[key], subset[key], [iterableEquality]);
diff --git a/packages/expect/src/__tests__/matchers.test.js b/packages/expect/src/__tests__/matchers.test.js
index d85497f21152..39d4b3048b71 100644
--- a/packages/expect/src/__tests__/matchers.test.js
+++ b/packages/expect/src/__tests__/matchers.test.js
@@ -2315,4 +2315,22 @@ describe('toMatchObject()', () => {
       jestExpect(b).toMatchObject(matcher),
     ).toThrowErrorMatchingSnapshot();
   });
+
+  it('toMatchObject ignores symbol key properties', () => {
+    // issue 13638
+    const sym = Symbol('foo');
+    const sym2 = Symbol('foo2');
+    jestExpect({}).not.toMatchObject({[sym]: true});
+    jestExpect({[sym]: true}).not.toMatchObject({[sym2]: true});
+    jestExpect({[sym]: true}).not.toMatchObject({[sym]: false});
+    jestExpect({example: 10, [sym]: true}).not.toMatchObject({
+      example: 12,
+      [sym]: true,
+    });
+    jestExpect({[sym]: true}).toMatchObject({[sym]: true});
+    jestExpect({example: 10, [sym]: true}).toMatchObject({
+      example: 10,
+      [sym]: true,
+    });
+  });
 });