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The differences between proposal managers and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, which is higher than the $88,678 average annual salary of a proposal manager.
The top three skills for a proposal manager include RFP, proposal management and powerpoint. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Proposal Manager | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $88,678 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $42.63 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 87,739 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A proposal manager specializes in creating and preparing company proposals, ensuring timeliness and accuracy. Their responsibilities revolve around producing proposal management plans, devising strategies to identify and secure opportunities, delegating tasks to various departments, and processing every requisition. They may also produce progress reports and prepare presentations for clients or higher-officials in a company. Furthermore, as a proposal manager, it is essential to lead and encourage teams to reach new heights, all while implementing the company's policies.
Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.
Proposal managers and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Proposal Manager | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $88,678 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $130,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Providence, RI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a proposal manager and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Proposal Manager | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between proposal managers' and project managers' demographics:
| Proposal Manager | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 8.6% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |