Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for proposal managers in the United States
Proposal manager job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected proposal manager job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 3,100 new jobs for proposal managers are projected over the next decade.
Proposal manager salaries have increased 8% for proposal managers in the last 5 years.
There are over 6,675 proposal managers currently employed in the United States.
There are 87,739 active proposal manager job openings in the US.
The average proposal manager salary is $88,678.
Are proposal manager jobs in demand?
Proposal manager job and salary trends over time
Proposal manager jobs over time
Proposal manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,675 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 2,303 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 2,391 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 6,674 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 6,274 | 0.00% |
Average proposal manager salary over time
Proposal manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $88,678 | $42.63 | +4.2% |
| 2024 | $85,063 | $40.90 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | $83,964 | $40.37 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $82,503 | $39.66 | +0.6% |
| 2021 | $82,003 | $39.42 | +0.1% |
Proposal manager jobs by state
Most common states for proposal managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 625 | 90% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,928 | 23% |
| 3 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,527 | 21% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,204 | 20% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,301 | 19% |
| 6 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 579 | 14% |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 139 | 13% |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 651 | 12% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 116 | 12% |
| 10 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 93 | 12% |
| 11 | California | 39,536,653 | 4,221 | 11% |
| 12 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,217 | 10% |
| 13 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,023 | 10% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 555 | 10% |
| 15 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 371 | 10% |
| 16 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 325 | 10% |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 136 | 10% |
| 18 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 105 | 10% |
| 19 | Alaska | 739,795 | 75 | 10% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 64 | 10% |
Most common cities for proposal managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Annapolis | 4 | 10% | $101,869 |
| 2 | Rockville | 4 | 6% | $101,655 |
| 3 | Tampa | 10 | 3% | $80,919 |
| 4 | Huntsville | 5 | 3% | $78,952 |
| 5 | Washington | 17 | 2% | $99,240 |
| 6 | Atlanta | 11 | 2% | $76,034 |
| 7 | Miami | 8 | 2% | $77,626 |
| 8 | Orlando | 6 | 2% | $80,998 |
| 9 | Irvine | 5 | 2% | $98,487 |
| 10 | Arlington | 4 | 2% | $96,419 |
| 11 | Boston | 8 | 1% | $93,275 |
| 12 | San Diego | 8 | 1% | $97,271 |
| 13 | Baltimore | 5 | 1% | $102,028 |
| 14 | Jacksonville | 5 | 1% | $81,322 |
| 15 | Sacramento | 5 | 1% | $103,006 |
| 16 | Chicago | 10 | 0% | $96,987 |
| 17 | Phoenix | 8 | 0% | $75,502 |
| 18 | Los Angeles | 5 | 0% | $99,198 |
| 19 | Indianapolis | 4 | 0% | $72,988 |
| 20 | San Francisco | 4 | 0% | $103,593 |
Proposal Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of proposal manager experts
University of La Verne
Western Carolina University
Auburn University at Montgomery
Maryville University
Marcia Godwin Ph.D.
Professor of Public Administration, Master of Public Administration (MPA) DirectorUniversity of La Verne
College of Business and Public Management
What hard/technical skills are most important for Proposal Managers?
Marcia Godwin Ph.D.: There is no replacement for being able to write at a professional level, which we often don't recognize as a hard skill. Being able to read financial statements and work with spreadsheets are other critical skills. Being comfortable with technology and managing technical projects is as important as knowing particular software. It was hard to imagine a few decades ago how geographical informational systems, apps, and social media would become central to public service. Managers need to be constantly looking to the future and staying current with their professional development to stay on top of technological and social changes.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Proposal Managers?
Angela Sebby Ph.D.: While jobs may be slower to return to the capacity pre-Covid, the industry and tourism employment will rebound as people still want to travel and explore diverse foods, cultures, and experiences. However, the enduring impact will be the rapid onset of technology that allowed for limited contact with employees and others has become the new norm. Although human interaction is an important aspect of service in the tourism industry, employers have found that they can reduce the number of personal interactions but still deliver an acceptable level of quality service. What would have taken years to adopt, COVID created an amplified adoption.
What soft skills should all Proposal Managers possess?
TeWhan Hahn Ph.D.: Writing skills including email writing, being able to work in teams, and knowing the workplace etiquettes.
Meaghan Goodman Ph.D.
Program Director & Assistant ProfessorMaryville University
Speech-Language Pathology
What's a day at work look like for a Proposal Manager?
Meaghan Goodman Ph.D.: A bachelor's in communication sciences and disorders can prepare you for three different tracks. First, it can prepare you to become a licensed Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA). This is someone who works under a fully credential speech-language pathologist. Often times, they carryout intervention plans developed by a fully credentialed speech-language pathologist. If graduate school is on your horizon, a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders will prepare you for acceptance into a Speech-Language Pathology program, or an Audiology program. If you are not accepted into a graduate program right away, working as a speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) is a great way to get experience in the field!