How much does a Proposal Director make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Proposal Director in the United States is $85,800 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $41.
However, a Proposal Director's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $104,949
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $77,053 to $95,823
Key Factors That Influence Proposal Director Salaries
A Proposal Director'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 Director Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Proposal Director'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:
How Do Proposal Director 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 Directors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
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: $108,220
San Francisco: $107,035
Oakland: $104,779
San Jose, CA$108,220
San Francisco, CA$107,035
Oakland, CA$104,779
New York, NY$98,789
Paramus, NJ$97,588
Queens Village, NY$97,584
Passaic, NJ$97,502
Bergenfield, NJ$97,495
Stamford, CT$97,306
Huntington, NY$97,271
Newark, NJ$96,637
Bridgeport, CT$96,456
Vallejo, CA$96,285
New Brunswick, NJ$96,250
Petaluma, CA$96,199
Middlesex, NJ$96,036
Somerset, NJ$95,976
Santa Cruz, CA$95,864
Boston, MA$95,341
Monterey, CA$95,040
Seattle, WA$94,843
Santa Rosa, CA$94,826
Los Angeles, CA$94,800
Juneau, AK$94,577
Washington, DC$94,483
Orange, CA$94,178
Santa Ana, CA$93,951
Long Beach, CA$93,865
Anaheim, CA$93,848
Anchorage, AK$93,805
Santa Maria, CA$93,548
Everett, WA$93,531
Danbury, CT$93,229
Bremerton, WA$93,110
Tacoma, WA$92,801
New Suffolk, NY$92,800
Sacramento, CA$92,776
Santa Barbara, CA$92,681
Trenton, NJ$92,587
San Diego, CA$92,587
Brockton, MA$92,492
Fairbanks, AK$92,282
Lompoc, CA$92,063
Lowell, MA$91,994
Ventura, CA$91,978
Nashua, NH$91,960
Stockton, CA$91,952
Modesto, CA$91,326
Poughkeepsie, NY$91,137
Olympia, WA$90,974
Kennewick, WA$90,974
New Haven, CT$90,939
Lawrence, MA$90,631
Hartford, CT$90,545
Riverside, CA$90,528
New Bedford, MA$90,442
Richland, WA$90,442
Bakersfield, CA$90,322
San Bernardino, CA$90,287
New Britain, CT$90,279
Atlantic City, NJ$90,279
New London, CT$90,244
Norwich, CT$90,219
Portsmouth, NH$90,202
Boulder, CO$90,020
Portland, OR$89,901
Worcester, MA$89,893
Minneapolis, MN$89,627
Philadelphia, PA$89,507
Honolulu, HI$89,223
Saint Paul, MN$89,182
Vineland, NJ$89,163
Providence, RI$88,915
Chicago, IL$88,666
Bellingham, WA$88,563
Springfield, MA$88,494
Baltimore, MD$88,468
Chico, CA$88,254
Pittsfield, MA$88,022
Manchester, NH$87,859
Spokane, WA$87,482
Denver, CO$87,473
Albany, NY$87,070
Troy, NY$87,036
Nassau, NY$86,944
Schenectady, NY$86,855
Wilmington, DE$86,787
Burlington, VT$86,667
Salem, OR$86,632
Portland, ME$86,366
Yakima, WA$86,280
Rochester, MN$86,015
Reno, NV$85,972
Fresno, CA$85,972
Milwaukee, WI$85,894
Detroit, MI$85,809
Ann Arbor, MI$85,794
Allentown, PA$85,783
Colorado Springs, CO$85,637
Syracuse, NY$85,594
Carson City, NV$85,594
Houston, TX$85,474
Eugene, OR$85,431
Gary, IN$85,328
Springfield, OR$85,259
Bismarck, ND$85,242
Galveston, TX$85,182
Medford, OR$85,054
Fort Collins, CO$85,019
Concord, NH$84,976
Austin, TX$84,951
Mesa, AZ$84,770
Reading, PA$84,762
Phoenix, AZ$84,753
Dallas, TX$84,728
Saint Cloud, MN$84,645
Madison, WI$84,530
Utica, NY$84,299
Rochester, NY$84,161
Des Moines, IA$84,153
Raleigh, NC$84,144
Atlanta, GA$84,015
Battle Creek, MI$83,990
Salt Lake City, UT$83,964
Lancaster, PA$83,835
Harrisburg, PA$83,715
Kansas City, MO$83,629
Champaign, IL$83,612
Kansas City, KS$83,612
Fort Worth, TX$83,604
Columbus, OH$83,589
Boca Raton, FL$83,569
Pittsburgh, PA$83,535
Richmond, VA$83,501
Indianapolis, IN$83,483
Cleveland, OH$83,475
Las Vegas, NV$83,372
Cincinnati, OH$83,372
Petersburg, VA$83,243
Huntsville, AL$83,114
Lansing, MI$83,057
Lebanon, PA$83,046
Pueblo, CO$83,037
Appleton, WI$83,012
Buffalo, NY$82,977
Dayton, OH$82,951
Racine, WI$82,934
Charlotte, NC$82,926
Saint Louis, MO$82,900
York, PA$82,848
Elkhart, IN$82,848
Gastonia, NC$82,832
Billings, MT$82,812
Beaumont, TX$82,788
Lorain, OH$82,771
Benton Harbor, MI$82,754
Toledo, OH$82,737
Binghamton, NY$82,694
Rock Hill, SC$82,685
Rockford, IL$82,643
Springfield, IL$82,608
Elyria, OH$82,600
Fargo, ND$82,600
Flagstaff, AZ$82,540
Fort Lauderdale, FL$82,488
Duluth, MN$82,437
Miami, FL$82,437
Cheyenne, WY$82,377
Grand Forks, ND$82,377
Bangor, ME$82,188
Cedar Rapids, IA$82,093
Durham, NC$82,057
Louisville, KY$82,051
Grand Rapids, MI$82,033
Hialeah, FL$82,025
Casper, WY$81,905
Scranton, PA$81,802
New Orleans, LA$81,776
Virginia Beach, VA$81,767
Akron, OH$81,725
Peoria, IL$81,613
Sarasota, FL$81,596
Nashville, TN$81,536
Omaha, NE$81,536
Green Bay, WI$81,536
Baton Rouge, LA$81,493
Charleston, SC$81,476
Jamestown, NY$81,433
Davenport, IA$81,433
Tucson, AZ$81,390
Saint Petersburg, FL$81,338
Tampa, FL$81,321
Evansville, IN$81,270
Port Arthur, TX$81,270
Bradenton, FL$81,235
Santa Fe, NM$81,081
Orlando, FL$80,927
Clearwater, FL$80,901
Canton, OH$80,721
La Crosse, WI$80,721
Albuquerque, NM$80,669
Newport News, VA$80,661
High Point, NC$80,635
Ogden, UT$80,601
Corpus Christi, TX$80,532
Norfolk, VA$80,480
Laramie, WY$80,480
Rock Island, IL$80,429
Saginaw, MI$80,412
Jacksonville, FL$80,403
Salisbury, NC$80,386
Boise, ID$80,369
Moline, IL$80,326
Fort Myers, FL$80,300
Memphis, TN$80,283
Tulsa, OK$80,240
Waterloo, IA$80,189
Spartanburg, SC$80,103
Lincoln, NE$80,060
Fort Wayne, IN$80,043
Provo, UT$80,034
Cedar Falls, IA$79,931
San Antonio, TX$79,897
Greensboro, NC$79,863
South Bend, IN$79,854
Savannah, GA$79,760
Muskegon, MI$79,725
Birmingham, AL$79,717
Winston Salem, NC$79,675
Lake Charles, LA$79,468
Anderson, IN$79,451
Lexington, KY$79,425
Augusta, GA$79,399
Greenville, SC$79,399
Lima, OH$79,331
Wichita, KS$79,322
Tuscaloosa, AL$79,322
Columbia, SC$79,245
Springfield, OH$79,228
Asheville, NC$79,090
Bloomington, IN$79,030
Knoxville, TN$78,722
Shreveport, LA$78,713
Wilmington, NC$78,601
Roanoke, VA$78,601
Topeka, KS$78,447
Frankfort, KY$78,438
Oklahoma City, OK$78,378
Chillicothe, OH$78,344
Longview, TX$78,335
Melbourne, FL$78,327
Sioux Falls, SD$78,190
Mobile, AL$78,181
Terre Haute, IN$78,147
Altoona, PA$78,095
Amarillo, TX$78,035
Killeen, TX$78,009
Fayetteville, AR$77,941
Chattanooga, TN$77,915
Sioux City, IA$77,838
Idaho Falls, ID$77,821
Lynchburg, VA$77,752
Gainesville, FL$77,640
Portsmouth, OH$77,598
Little Rock, AR$77,580
Lafayette, LA$77,546
Youngstown, OH$77,546
Daytona Beach, FL$77,495
Clarksville, TN$77,486
Pensacola, FL$77,477
Temple, TX$77,471
Hopkinsville, KY$77,220
Erie, PA$77,203
Florence, SC$77,169
Charleston, WV$77,031
Great Falls, MT$76,988
Macon, GA$76,868
Tallahassee, FL$76,860
Fayetteville, NC$76,842
Waco, TX$76,825
Helena, MT$76,765
Pine Bluff, AR$76,733
Vincennes, IN$76,628
Lubbock, TX$76,594
Alamogordo, NM$76,542
Twin Falls, ID$76,465
Rapid City, SD$76,439
Jackson, MS$76,285
Huntington, WV$76,279
Greenville, MS$76,276
Parkersburg, WV$76,189
Montgomery, AL$76,173
Wichita Falls, TX$76,087
Springfield, MO$76,087
Biloxi, MS$76,045
Monroe, LA$75,959
Johnstown, PA$75,899
Sumter, SC$75,864
Columbus, GA$75,856
Pascagoula, MS$75,693
Abilene, TX$75,693
Kingsport, TN$75,470
Albany, GA$75,470
Gulfport, MS$75,444
Alexandria, LA$75,161
Fort Smith, AR$74,946
El Paso, TX$74,715
Las Cruces, NM$74,329
Harlingen, TX$74,111
Pocatello, ID$74,097
Florence, AL$73,985
Brownsville, TX$73,968
Mcallen, TX$73,788
Dothan, AL$73,668
Columbus, MS$73,158
Altus, OK$72,758
Lawton, OK$72,595
Pierre, SD$72,287
What Skills Can Increase a Proposal Director'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.
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 Director's salary.
Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Program Management: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Proposal Director Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Proposal Director 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, Proposal Director positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Proposal Director as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Proposal Director
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology
$111,540
$54.0
30%
Healthcare
$94,380
$45.0
10%
How Education impacts a Proposal Director's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Proposal Directors 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 Director with a Bachelor's Degree is between
$84,249
and $91,990).
Proposal Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Proposal Director'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.
Salaries for a Proposal Director can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $86,073 in 2023
to around $85,375 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Proposal Director salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Proposal Director Over Time
$???
$86,073
$85,904
$85,375
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$86,073
2024
$85,904
2025
$85,375
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Proposal Director
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Proposal Director
Here are companies hiring for Proposal Director and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Proposal Director
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Proposal Director?
The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Proposal Director 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.
