What are the main factors that influence a Proposal Specialist's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Proposal Specialist's salary?

A Proposal Specialist's salary grows with experience: starting around $78,354 for beginners, reaching about $80,769 at mid-level, and approach $86,900 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Proposal Specialist?

Proposal Specialist salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Proposal Specialist roles are District of Columbia $91,466, California $91,119, Massachusetts $89,905. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Proposal Specialist roles make?

Salaries for Proposal Specialist level roles vary by specialization: Proposal Specialist IV: $121,390; Proposal Writer IV: $121,373; Technical Proposal Specialist: $99,673; Proposal Specialist III: $89,653; Senior Proposal Specialist: $88,673.

How do different companies affect a Proposal Specialist's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Proposal Specialist roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Proposal Specialist Salary in the United States

How much does a Proposal Specialist make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Proposal Specialist in the United States is $82,610 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $40.

However, a Proposal Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $101,184
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $72,074 to $92,333
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $62,482

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Proposal Specialist Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$92,333	$7,694	$1,776	$44
Average	$82,610	$6,884	$1,589	$40
25th Percentile	$72,074	$6,006	$1,386	$35

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Check out Proposal Specialist Job Openings in the United States

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Proposal Specialist

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Key Factors That Influence Proposal Specialist Salaries

A Proposal Specialist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Proposal Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Proposal Specialist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $78,354
Early Career (1-2 years): $78,676
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $80,769
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $84,755
Expert (over 8 years): $86,900

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Proposal Specialist	$78,354
Intermediate Level Proposal Specialist	$78,676
Senior Level Proposal Specialist	$80,769
Specialist Level Proposal Specialist	$84,755
Expert Level Proposal Specialist	$86,900

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Proposal Specialist Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Proposal Specialists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $91,466.
California: $91,119.
Massachusetts: $89,905.

District of Columbia $91,466 California $91,119 Massachusetts $89,905 Washington $89,574 New Jersey $89,541 Alaska $89,426 Connecticut $88,286 New York $87,823

Hawaii $86,344 Rhode Island $85,650 Maryland $85,180 Minnesota $84,535 Colorado $84,287 Illinois $84,205 Oregon $83,891 Delaware $83,660

New Hampshire $83,514 Virginia $83,189 Pennsylvania $82,239 Nevada $81,760 North Dakota $81,603 Michigan $81,355 Wisconsin $81,264 Vermont $81,082

Texas $80,578 Maine $80,545 Arizona $80,496 Ohio $80,438 Georgia $79,678 Indiana $79,298 Wyoming $79,223 Utah $79,108

Iowa $79,058 Kansas $78,662 Louisiana $78,546 North Carolina $78,505 Missouri $78,488 Florida $78,166 Montana $77,992 Nebraska $77,827

Kentucky $77,736 South Carolina $77,406 Tennessee $77,199 Idaho $77,117 New Mexico $76,514 Oklahoma $76,382 Alabama $75,894 South Dakota $75,076

Arkansas $74,630 West Virginia $74,391 Mississippi $73,672

Top Paying Cities for Proposal Specialists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $104,196
San Francisco: $103,056
Oakland: $100,884

San Jose, CA $104,196

San Francisco, CA $103,056

Oakland, CA $100,884

New York, NY $95,117

Paramus, NJ $93,960

Queens Village, NY $93,956

Passaic, NJ $93,878

Bergenfield, NJ $93,870

Stamford, CT $93,688

Huntington, NY $93,655

Newark, NJ $93,044

Bridgeport, CT $92,870

Vallejo, CA $92,705

New Brunswick, NJ $92,672

Petaluma, CA $92,623

Middlesex, NJ $92,466

Somerset, NJ $92,408

Santa Cruz, CA $92,301

Boston, MA $91,797

Monterey, CA $91,507

Seattle, WA $91,318

Santa Rosa, CA $91,301

Los Angeles, CA $91,276

Juneau, AK $91,061

Washington, DC $90,971

Orange, CA $90,676

Santa Ana, CA $90,458

Long Beach, CA $90,376

Anaheim, CA $90,359

Anchorage, AK $90,318

Santa Maria, CA $90,070

Everett, WA $90,054

Danbury, CT $89,763

Bremerton, WA $89,649

Tacoma, WA $89,351

New Suffolk, NY $89,350

Sacramento, CA $89,327

Santa Barbara, CA $89,236

Trenton, NJ $89,145

San Diego, CA $89,145

Brockton, MA $89,054

Fairbanks, AK $88,852

Lompoc, CA $88,641

Lowell, MA $88,574

Ventura, CA $88,558

Nashua, NH $88,542

Stockton, CA $88,534

Modesto, CA $87,931

Poughkeepsie, NY $87,749

Olympia, WA $87,592

Kennewick, WA $87,592

New Haven, CT $87,559

Lawrence, MA $87,261

Hartford, CT $87,179

Riverside, CA $87,162

New Bedford, MA $87,080

Richland, WA $87,080

Bakersfield, CA $86,964

San Bernardino, CA $86,931

New Britain, CT $86,923

Atlantic City, NJ $86,923

New London, CT $86,890

Norwich, CT $86,865

Portsmouth, NH $86,848

Boulder, CO $86,673

Portland, OR $86,559

Worcester, MA $86,551

Minneapolis, MN $86,295

Philadelphia, PA $86,179

Honolulu, HI $85,907

Saint Paul, MN $85,867

Vineland, NJ $85,849

Providence, RI $85,609

Chicago, IL $85,370

Bellingham, WA $85,270

Springfield, MA $85,204

Baltimore, MD $85,180

Chico, CA $84,973

Pittsfield, MA $84,750

Manchester, NH $84,593

Spokane, WA $84,230

Denver, CO $84,221

Albany, NY $83,833

Troy, NY $83,800

Nassau, NY $83,712

Schenectady, NY $83,627

Wilmington, DE $83,560

Burlington, VT $83,445

Salem, OR $83,412

Portland, ME $83,156

Yakima, WA $83,073

Rochester, MN $82,817

Reno, NV $82,776

Fresno, CA $82,776

Milwaukee, WI $82,701

Detroit, MI $82,619

Ann Arbor, MI $82,605

Allentown, PA $82,594

Colorado Springs, CO $82,453

Syracuse, NY $82,412

Carson City, NV $82,412

Houston, TX $82,296

Eugene, OR $82,255

Gary, IN $82,156

Springfield, OR $82,090

Bismarck, ND $82,073

Galveston, TX $82,016

Medford, OR $81,892

Fort Collins, CO $81,859

Concord, NH $81,817

Austin, TX $81,793

Mesa, AZ $81,619

Reading, PA $81,611

Phoenix, AZ $81,603

Dallas, TX $81,578

Saint Cloud, MN $81,498

Madison, WI $81,388

Utica, NY $81,165

Rochester, NY $81,033

Des Moines, IA $81,024

Raleigh, NC $81,016

Atlanta, GA $80,892

Battle Creek, MI $80,867

Salt Lake City, UT $80,843

Lancaster, PA $80,719

Harrisburg, PA $80,603

Kansas City, MO $80,520

Champaign, IL $80,504

Kansas City, KS $80,504

Fort Worth, TX $80,496

Columbus, OH $80,482

Boca Raton, FL $80,463

Pittsburgh, PA $80,429

Richmond, VA $80,396

Indianapolis, IN $80,380

Cleveland, OH $80,372

Las Vegas, NV $80,273

Cincinnati, OH $80,273

Petersburg, VA $80,149

Huntsville, AL $80,025

Lansing, MI $79,969

Lebanon, PA $79,959

Pueblo, CO $79,950

Appleton, WI $79,926

Buffalo, NY $79,893

Dayton, OH $79,868

Racine, WI $79,851

Charlotte, NC $79,843

Saint Louis, MO $79,818

York, PA $79,769

Elkhart, IN $79,769

Gastonia, NC $79,753

Billings, MT $79,733

Beaumont, TX $79,711

Lorain, OH $79,694

Benton Harbor, MI $79,678

Toledo, OH $79,661

Binghamton, NY $79,620

Rock Hill, SC $79,612

Rockford, IL $79,570

Springfield, IL $79,537

Elyria, OH $79,529

Fargo, ND $79,529

Flagstaff, AZ $79,471

Fort Lauderdale, FL $79,422

Duluth, MN $79,372

Miami, FL $79,372

Cheyenne, WY $79,314

Grand Forks, ND $79,314

Bangor, ME $79,133

Cedar Rapids, IA $79,042

Durham, NC $79,007

Louisville, KY $79,000

Grand Rapids, MI $78,984

Hialeah, FL $78,976

Casper, WY $78,860

Scranton, PA $78,761

New Orleans, LA $78,736

Virginia Beach, VA $78,728

Akron, OH $78,686

Peoria, IL $78,579

Sarasota, FL $78,562

Nashville, TN $78,505

Omaha, NE $78,505

Green Bay, WI $78,505

Baton Rouge, LA $78,463

Charleston, SC $78,447

Jamestown, NY $78,406

Davenport, IA $78,406

Tucson, AZ $78,364

Saint Petersburg, FL $78,315

Tampa, FL $78,298

Evansville, IN $78,249

Port Arthur, TX $78,249

Bradenton, FL $78,216

Santa Fe, NM $78,067

Orlando, FL $77,918

Clearwater, FL $77,893

Canton, OH $77,720

La Crosse, WI $77,720

Albuquerque, NM $77,670

Newport News, VA $77,662

High Point, NC $77,637

Ogden, UT $77,604

Corpus Christi, TX $77,538

Norfolk, VA $77,489

Laramie, WY $77,489

Rock Island, IL $77,439

Saginaw, MI $77,422

Jacksonville, FL $77,414

Salisbury, NC $77,398

Boise, ID $77,381

Moline, IL $77,340

Fort Myers, FL $77,315

Memphis, TN $77,299

Tulsa, OK $77,257

Waterloo, IA $77,208

Spartanburg, SC $77,125

Lincoln, NE $77,084

Fort Wayne, IN $77,067

Provo, UT $77,059

Cedar Falls, IA $76,960

San Antonio, TX $76,927

Greensboro, NC $76,894

South Bend, IN $76,885

Savannah, GA $76,795

Muskegon, MI $76,762

Birmingham, AL $76,753

Winston Salem, NC $76,713

Lake Charles, LA $76,514

Anderson, IN $76,497

Lexington, KY $76,472

Augusta, GA $76,448

Greenville, SC $76,448

Lima, OH $76,382

Wichita, KS $76,373

Tuscaloosa, AL $76,373

Columbia, SC $76,299

Springfield, OH $76,282

Asheville, NC $76,150

Bloomington, IN $76,092

Knoxville, TN $75,795

Shreveport, LA $75,787

Wilmington, NC $75,679

Roanoke, VA $75,679

Topeka, KS $75,531

Frankfort, KY $75,522

Oklahoma City, OK $75,465

Chillicothe, OH $75,432

Longview, TX $75,423

Melbourne, FL $75,415

Sioux Falls, SD $75,283

Mobile, AL $75,275

Terre Haute, IN $75,242

Altoona, PA $75,192

Amarillo, TX $75,134

Killeen, TX $75,109

Fayetteville, AR $75,043

Chattanooga, TN $75,019

Sioux City, IA $74,944

Idaho Falls, ID $74,928

Lynchburg, VA $74,862

Gainesville, FL $74,754

Portsmouth, OH $74,713

Little Rock, AR $74,696

Lafayette, LA $74,663

Youngstown, OH $74,663

Daytona Beach, FL $74,614

Clarksville, TN $74,605

Pensacola, FL $74,597

Temple, TX $74,591

Hopkinsville, KY $74,349

Erie, PA $74,333

Florence, SC $74,300

Charleston, WV $74,168

Great Falls, MT $74,126

Macon, GA $74,011

Tallahassee, FL $74,002

Fayetteville, NC $73,986

Waco, TX $73,969

Helena, MT $73,912

Pine Bluff, AR $73,880

Vincennes, IN $73,779

Lubbock, TX $73,746

Alamogordo, NM $73,697

Twin Falls, ID $73,622

Rapid City, SD $73,598

Jackson, MS $73,449

Huntington, WV $73,443

Greenville, MS $73,441

Parkersburg, WV $73,356

Montgomery, AL $73,342

Wichita Falls, TX $73,259

Springfield, MO $73,259

Biloxi, MS $73,218

Monroe, LA $73,135

Johnstown, PA $73,077

Sumter, SC $73,044

Columbus, GA $73,036

Pascagoula, MS $72,879

Abilene, TX $72,879

Kingsport, TN $72,664

Albany, GA $72,664

Gulfport, MS $72,639

Alexandria, LA $72,367

Fort Smith, AR $72,160

El Paso, TX $71,937

Las Cruces, NM $71,565

Harlingen, TX $71,356

Pocatello, ID $71,342

Florence, AL $71,235

Brownsville, TX $71,218

Mcallen, TX $71,045

Dothan, AL $70,929

Columbus, MS $70,439

Altus, OK $70,054

Lawton, OK $69,897

Pierre, SD $69,599

What Skills Can Increase a Proposal Specialist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Presentation (Mentioned in 4.45% Job Postings): Presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product.
PowerPoint (Mentioned in 3.04% Job Postings): A computer software created by Microsoft which allows the user to create slides with recordings, narrations, transitions and other features in order to present information.
Proofreading (Mentioned in 1.62% Job Postings): Proofreading is the reading of a galley proof or an electronic copy of a publication to detect and correct production errors of text or art.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Presentation	4.45%
PowerPoint	3.04%
Proofreading	1.62%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Proposal Specialist's salary.

Pricing: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Salesforce: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Pricing	$85,089	3%
Salesforce	$85,089	3%
Leadership	$84,263	2%
Oral Communication	$84,263	2%
Consulting	$84,263	2%
Team Development	$84,263	2%

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How Education impacts a Proposal Specialist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Proposal Specialists enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Proposal Specialist with a Bachelor's Degree is between $73,090 and $77,647).

Proposal Specialist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Proposal Specialist

No Diploma 0.4%

High School 3.6%

Associates 3.3%

Bachelors 48.9%

Masters 39.3%

Doctorate 4.5%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.4%
High School	3.6%
Associates	3.3%
Bachelors	48.9%
Masters	39.3%
Doctorate	4.5%

view as graph

Proposal Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Proposal Specialist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

$72,074

Average $82,610/year

$92,333

$6,006

Average $6,884/month

$7,694

$1,386

Average $1,589/week

$1,776

$35

Average $40/hour

$44

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$92,333	$7,694	$1,776	$44
Average	$82,610	$6,884	$1,589	$40
25th Percentile	$72,074	$6,006	$1,386	$35

Salaries of jobs related to Proposal Specialist

Salary Trends for Proposal Specialist

Salaries for a Proposal Specialist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $63,814 in 2023 to around $63,622 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Proposal Specialist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Proposal Specialist Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$63,814

2024

$63,845

2025

$63,622

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$63,814
2024	$63,845
2025	$63,622
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Proposal Specialist

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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