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The average salary for a Proposal Writer in the United States is approximately $68,706 per year. This figure represents a range of salaries influenced by various factors, including experience, industry, and geographic location. Entry-level positions typically start around $50,000 annually, while those with extensive experience can earn upwards of $90,000.
Proposal Writers in high-demand sectors such as technology and healthcare tend to see higher salaries. Additionally, states like California and New York offer competitive rates due to their cost of living and the concentration of large firms. Understanding the market and seeking opportunities in these lucrative areas can significantly impact your earning potential.
These figures highlight the significant increase in salary as one gains experience and skills in proposal writing.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level proposal writer | $46,600 | $22.41 |
| Mid-level proposal writer | $74,300 | $35.72 |
| Senior-level proposal writer | $102,000 | $49.03 |
The average proposal writer salary in Virginia, Maryland, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average proposal writer salary states are Oklahoma, Indiana, and Iowa.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $102,634 | $49.34 |
| 2 | Virginia | $88,056 | $42.33 |
| 3 | New York | $81,108 | $38.99 |
| 4 | Maryland | $82,199 | $39.52 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $74,713 | $35.92 |
| 6 | California | $77,744 | $37.38 |
| 7 | Arizona | $79,297 | $38.12 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $72,086 | $34.66 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $74,505 | $35.82 |
| 10 | Vermont | $69,314 | $33.32 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $73,566 | $35.37 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $70,888 | $34.08 |
| 13 | Michigan | $71,210 | $34.24 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $69,561 | $33.44 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $62,167 | $29.89 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $65,579 | $31.53 |
| 17 | Texas | $66,376 | $31.91 |
| 18 | Illinois | $66,052 | $31.76 |
| 19 | Delaware | $66,154 | $31.80 |
| 20 | Oregon | $62,251 | $29.93 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $64,142 | $30.84 |
| 22 | Nevada | $61,700 | $29.66 |
| 23 | Georgia | $65,740 | $31.61 |
| 24 | Washington | $62,532 | $30.06 |
| 25 | Ohio | $63,978 | $30.76 |
| 26 | Florida | $63,733 | $30.64 |
| 27 | Colorado | $62,219 | $29.91 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $59,675 | $28.69 |
| 29 | Alaska | $53,528 | $25.73 |
| 30 | Utah | $55,825 | $26.84 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $57,308 | $27.55 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $56,388 | $27.11 |
| 33 | Missouri | $57,741 | $27.76 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $58,663 | $28.20 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $60,612 | $29.14 |
| 36 | Montana | $56,389 | $27.11 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $56,432 | $27.13 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $56,535 | $27.18 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $56,809 | $27.31 |
| 40 | Alabama | $56,262 | $27.05 |
| 41 | Kansas | $54,836 | $26.36 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $51,470 | $24.75 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $54,066 | $25.99 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $54,278 | $26.10 |
| 45 | Maine | $54,741 | $26.32 |
| 46 | Idaho | $50,584 | $24.32 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $50,735 | $24.39 |
| 48 | Indiana | $51,985 | $24.99 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $52,131 | $25.06 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $52,836 | $25.40 |
| 51 | Iowa | $51,752 | $24.88 |
The highest-paying cities for proposal writers are Washington, DC, Arlington, VA, and Annapolis, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $102,799 | $49.42 |
| 2 | Arlington, VA | $88,368 | $42.48 |
| 3 | Annapolis, MD | $82,501 | $39.66 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $81,515 | $39.19 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $79,301 | $38.13 |
| 6 | Los Angeles, CA | $76,688 | $36.87 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $74,674 | $35.90 |
| 8 | Hartford, CT | $74,091 | $35.62 |
| 9 | Raleigh, NC | $73,559 | $35.36 |
| 10 | Trenton, NJ | $73,558 | $35.36 |
| 11 | Lansing, MI | $70,525 | $33.91 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $66,817 | $32.12 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $66,396 | $31.92 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $65,622 | $31.55 |
| 15 | Providence, RI | $65,510 | $31.50 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $64,064 | $30.80 |
| 17 | Bismarck, ND | $63,999 | $30.77 |
| 18 | Carson City, NV | $63,387 | $30.47 |
| 19 | Tallahassee, FL | $63,150 | $30.36 |
| 20 | Salem, OR | $62,163 | $29.89 |
Proposal Writers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
A proposal writer's salary ranges from $48,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $97,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| 75th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
| Average | $68,706 | $5,726 | $33 |
| 25th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
| 10th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
The highest paying types of proposal writers are senior editor, managing editor, and proposal manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Editor | $52,107 | $4,342 | $25.05 | 15,115 |
| Managing Editor | $89,060 | $7,422 | $42.82 | 16,781 |
| Publisher | $71,539 | $5,962 | $34.39 | 10,303 |
| Content Editor | $61,694 | $5,141 | $29.66 | 18,586 |
| News Editor | $53,822 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 12,484 |
| Technical Editor | $61,717 | $5,143 | $29.67 | 78,423 |
Top companies hiring proposal writers now:
Proposal writer salaries at Precise Software Solutions and Accenture are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average proposal writer salary at companies like Amazon and SAIC are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Precise Software Solutions | $112,874 | $54.27 |
| 2 | Accenture | $106,727 | $51.31 |
| 3 | Amazon | $106,460 | $51.18 |
| 4 | SAIC | $93,667 | $45.03 |
| 5 | HCSC | $93,220 | $44.82 |
| 6 | Salient CRGT | $91,667 | $44.07 |
| 7 | Aetna | $91,652 | $44.06 |
| 8 | Elevance Health | $90,596 | $43.56 |
| 9 | World Wide Technology | $89,973 | $43.26 |
| 10 | RTI International Metals | $89,854 | $43.20 |
| 11 | Forrester | $86,433 | $41.55 |
| 12 | McKesson | $86,071 | $41.38 |
| 13 | Sherpa | $85,953 | $41.32 |
| 14 | U.S. Bank | $85,654 | $41.18 |
| 15 | Battelle | $85,562 | $41.14 |
| 16 | Fusion Technology | $85,273 | $41.00 |
| 17 | Tyler Technologies | $84,920 | $40.83 |
| 18 | CTG | $84,753 | $40.75 |
| 19 | General Dynamics | $84,214 | $40.49 |
| 20 | CVS Health | $83,839 | $40.31 |
The average proposal writer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insurance | $70,514 | $33.90 |
| 2 | Technology | $68,875 | $33.11 |
| 3 | Professional | $63,136 | $30.35 |
| 4 | Government | $53,870 | $25.90 |
| 5 | Retail | $50,227 | $24.15 |
The average proposal writer salary has risen by $9,241 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average proposal writer earned $59,465 annually, but today, they earn $68,706 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for proposal writers over the last decade.
Compare proposal writer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare proposal writer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $68,700 | $33.03 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $67,000 | $32.24 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $66,100 | $31.79 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $65,300 | $31.39 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $64,300 | $30.91 | -0.6% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barr Systems | Proposal Writer (Hybrid) | Minneapolis, MN | 06/30/2025 | $68,000 |
| Palantir | Proposal Writer and Strategist-US Commercial | Palo Alto, CA | 06/29/2025 | $95,000 |
| Strategic Resolution Experts (SRE | Proposal Writer-Remote | Las Vegas, NV | 06/29/2025 | $80,000 |
| Govcio | Proposal Writer (Remote) | Saint Paul, MN | 06/27/2025 | $81,850 |
| Govcio | Proposal Writer (Remote) | Sacramento, CA | 06/27/2025 | $81,850 |
| Govcio | Proposal Writer (Remote) | Des Moines, IA | 06/27/2025 | $81,850 |
| Govcio | Proposal Writer (Remote) | Lincoln, NE | 06/27/2025 | $81,850 |
| Govcio | Proposal Writer (Remote) | Little Rock, AR | 06/27/2025 | $81,850 |
| Govcio | Proposal Writer (Remote) | Pierre, SD | 06/27/2025 | $81,850 |
| Govcio | Proposal Writer (Remote) | Albany, NY | 06/27/2025 | $81,850 |
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