Grants Manager Salary in the United States

How much does a Grants Manager make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Grants Manager in the United States is $87,233 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $106,702
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $78,340 to $97,424
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $70,243

Key Factors That Influence Grants Manager Salaries

A Grants Manager'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 Grants Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Grants Manager'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): $83,146
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $83,547
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $84,882
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $86,484
  • Expert (over 8 years): $89,031
Levels Salary
Entry Level Grants Manager$83,146
Intermediate Level Grants Manager$83,547
Senior Level Grants Manager$84,882
Specialist Level Grants Manager$86,484
Expert Level Grants Manager$89,031

How Do Grants Manager 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 Grants Managers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $96,584.
  • California: $96,218.
  • Massachusetts: $94,936.

Top Paying Cities for Grants Managers

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: $110,027
  • San Francisco: $108,822
  • Oakland: $106,529

What Skills Can Increase a Grants Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Problem Solving (Mentioned in 4.73% Job Postings): Analyzing and identifying the root cause of problems and applying critical thinking skills to solve problems.
  • Fundraising (Mentioned in 2.67% Job Postings): Fundraising or fund-raising (also known as "development" or "advancement") is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gather money for non-profit organizations, it is sometimes used to refer to the identification and solicitation of investors or other sources of capital for for-profit enterprises. Traditionally, fundraising consisted mostly of asking for donations on the street or at people's doors, and this is experiencing very strong growth in the form of face-to-face fundraising, but new forms of fundraising, such as online fundraising, have emerged in recent years, though these are often based on older methods such as grassroots fundraising.
  • RFI (Mentioned in 1.83% Job Postings): A RFI (request for information) is a common business process whose purpose is to collect written information about the capabilities of various suppliers.
Skills Demand Percentage
Problem Solving 4.73%
Fundraising 2.67%
RFI 1.83%

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 Grants Manager's salary.

  • Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
  • Program Management: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
  • Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Analysis $89,850
3%
Program Management $89,850
3%
Commitment $89,850
3%

Grants Manager Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Grants Manager roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Healthcare sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Grants Manager positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Grants Manager as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Grants Manager

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$113,403$55.030%
Healthcare$95,956$46.010%

How Education impacts a Grants Manager's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Grants Managers 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 Grants Manager with a Bachelor's Degree is between $84,249 and $91,990).

Grants Manager Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Grants Manager
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.3%
High School 4.6%
Associates 2.5%
Bachelors 44.3%
Masters 44.6%
Doctorate 3.6%

Grants Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Grants Manager'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 September 01, 2026
$78,340
Average $87,233/year
$97,424
$6,528
Average $7,269/month
$8,119
$1,507
Average $1,678/week
$1,874
$38
Average $42/hour
$47
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $97,424 $8,119 $1,874 $47
Average $87,233 $7,269 $1,678 $42
25th Percentile $78,340 $6,528 $1,507 $38

Most common benefits for Grants Manager

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Grants Manager

Here are companies hiring for Grants Manager and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Grants Manager Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Grants Manager job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Grants Manager

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Grants Manager?

The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Grants Manager roles, with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst