UK Bid and Proposal Salary Survey 2025
Key Findings – 2025 Salary Survey
Average Salary – All roles
The average salary in our profession across all permanent full-time roles is £68,940. This represents a 16.5% increase over the 2022 average (£59,163). The median salary across all roles is £65,000 (up from £55,000 in 2022).
Average Salary – Women
The average salary for women is £65,020, a 20.2% increase since 2022 (£54,085).
Average Salary – Men
The average salary for men is £74,915, a 12.5% increase since 2022 (£66,608).
Across all respondents, men on average earn 15.2% more than women. In 2022, the difference
was 23%.
Factoring inflation (RPI) into basic salary calculations, all bid and proposal roles have experienced a decrease in real monetary terms since the 2022 survey – except Bid Coordinators (2% increase). Heads of Bid Writing have experienced
the largest decrease, losing the equivalent of 21% of their basic salary. Heads of Proposal Management have lost 18%. Bid Managers and Proposal Managers have lost the equivalent of 14%. Bid Writers have lost 13%. Heads of Bid Management have lost 10%.
Heads of Bid Management are the best paid permanent staff within our profession, earning £81,101. Heads of Proposal Management are second, earning £74,341.
Bid Coordinators remain the lowest paid – but they attracted the largest salary increase of all roles (up 20.1% since 2022), earning £40,184.
Bid Managers earn £58,886 (a 1.5% increase), Proposal Managers earn £54,348 (a 1% increase) and Bid Writers earn £45,884 (a 2.6% increase).
60% of respondents aligned themselves to the Bid Solutions’ Bid Manager role description. 15% aligned to Bid Writer, 18% to Proposal Manager, 5% to Bid Coordinator, 1% to Knowledgebase Manager and 1% to Graphic Designer.
Professionals located in the South East attract the highest average basic salaries at £76,792. The North East & Cumbria once again recorded the lowest salaries at £53,615 (although this is up from £44,778 in 2018).
Those who work full time and are 100% home-based (across all UK locations) earn £65,695 (up from £58,330 in 2022).
Of the top 10 industries recorded in the survey, there is a 44% disparity between the highest (Law, with an average basic salary of £75,545) and lowest (Health & Medical, £52,481). Those seeking employment or considering long-term career planning should undertake comprehensive due diligence to identify where their skills will be most valued and ensure their salary expectations align with industry norms.
77% of respondents employed by an organisation work in large enterprises (250+ employees), 17% work in medium-sized organisations (50-249 employees) and 6% work in organisations with fewer than 50 employees.
48% of permanently employed respondents worked in bid teams with fewer than five professionals. 38% worked in teams with between 6 and 20 colleagues and 13% worked in bid teams with 21 or more team members.
Only 10% of respondents were extremely concerned about their career progression in 2025 if their employer did not adopt the latest generative AI technology. 24% stated that their organisations failure to keep up with the latest AI over the next 12 months would have no impact on their career progression. 24% were undecided.
66% stated Capture Manager wasn’t a clearly defined role in their organisation. 12% stated it sat within a Bid Manager’s role and a further 12% stated it sat within Sales/ Business Development. Only 10% stated it was a defined role with its own title and job description.
70% of respondents believe their career aspirations could be better met with a dedicated, transparently funded, UK-focussed professional body that specifically champions the needs of Capture, Bid and Proposal Management Professionals.
Only 42% of respondents (down from 49% in 2022) said their organisations published gender pay gap statistics to all staff.
On average, the best paid contractors are Proposal Managers, earning £784 per day (a 12% increase since 2022). Bid Managers earn an average of £659 per day (a 7% increase). Average day rates for Bid Writers are £602 per day, up 11%. Bid Coordinators earn £475 per day.
Respondents working as Consultants reported a wide range of total annual contract earnings – from £15,000 to £300,000. The median total contract earnings for Consultants with a minimum 95% utilisation (five weeks of holiday or less) is £110,000, with the average being £113,310 (a 33% increase on 2022).
Only 16% of Consultants (down from 25% in 2022) felt that IR35 Rules had negatively impacted their business.
90% of respondents have A-Levels or higher. 74% of those hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (unchanged from 2022). 1% have achieved Doctorate status and 1% are currently on an Apprenticeship.
74% of the profession regularly work more than their contracted hours (down from 86% in 2022). 27% of these work at least one hour above their contracted hours each day and 11% work at least two extra hours (or more) each day and regularly work weekends.
51% of those working extra hours are not compensated. Only 4% receive extra pay. 19% receive time off in lieu equivalent to the overtime worked.
45% of respondents have no personal development/training plan (down from 56.8% in 2022). This increases to 64% for self-employed/Consultants.
Unemployment within the survey sample is at 2% (up from 0.75% in 2022). Permanent employees make up 86% of the workforce (88.62% in 2022). Self- employed and temporary staff comprise only 12%.
60% of respondents are either ‘Satisfied’ or ‘Very Satisfied’ with their current role (down from 68% in 2022). 10% are not satisfied.
59% of respondents are ‘Satisfied’ or ‘Very Satisfied’ with their current basic salary/ day rate (down from 61% in 2022).
47% of those surveyed chose work-life balance as most important to them. 24% stated feeling valued was the most important factor and only 16% stated financial reward as their main driver. 13% felt progressing their career/consultancy business was most important.
283 different job titles were recorded in the survey (down from 420 in 2022).
The average age of all professionals surveyed is 44 (42 in 2022). The average man in our profession is 46 and the average woman is 42.
82% of respondents (down from 89% in 2022) still expect to build a long-term career in bid and proposal management. Only 5% (the same as in 2022) don’t have the same expectation.
Balancing all relevant individual, company, and market factors, 23% of respondents feel ‘Extremely Positive’ about securing a pay rise in 2025. 3% feel ‘Extremely Negative’ and expect a pay cut.
Average salary by core role (2025)
| Core role | Average basic | Total package | Change since 2022 | Range (min–max) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head of Bid Management | £81,101 | £93,227 | +5.5% | £30,000 – £220,000 |
| Head of Proposal Management | £74,341 | £85,988 | −3.6% | £32,000 – £150,000 |
| Head of Bid Writing | £61,930 | £69,570 | −7.1% | £33,000 – £95,000 |
| Bid Manager | £58,886 | £67,234 | +1.5% | £15,000 – £102,000 |
| Proposal Manager | £54,348 | £63,318 | +1.0% | £33,000 – £79,000 |
| Bid Writer | £45,884 | £52,866 | +2.6% | £25,000 – £97,000 |
| Bid Coordinator | £40,184 | £46,143 | +20.1% | £25,000 – £100,000 |
All roles except Bid Coordinator fell in real terms once RPI inflation (17.8% since 2022) is factored in.
Consultant day rates by role (2025)
| Role | Average day rate | Annual revenue (80% utilisation) | Change since 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal Manager | £784 | £80,208 | +12% |
| Bid Manager | £659 | £115,116 | +7% |
| Bid Writer | £602 | £114,102 | +11% |
| Bid Coordinator | £475 | £42,000 | — |
The median total annual contract earnings for a consultant with 95%+ utilisation is £110,000 (average £113,310, +33% on 2022). Note the day rate doesn’t tell the whole story: a Bid Writer’s lower £602 day rate still converts to £114,102 a year — almost identical to a Bid Manager — because of higher utilisation.
Per-role pay detail
| Role | Basic | Bonus & benefits | Total package | Large (250+) | Medium (50–249) | Small (10–49) | Highest-paying industry | Lowest-paying industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bid Coordinator | £40,184 | £5,959 | £46,143 | £40,025 | £41,600 | £37,200 | Facilities Management £48,000 | Recruitment / Health £40,000 |
| Bid Writer | £45,884 | £6,982 | £52,866 | £52,806 | £45,619 | £44,000 | IT £63,000 | Health £40,923 |
| Proposal Manager | £54,348 | £8,970 | £63,318 | £68,487 | £60,833 | £57,667 | Financial Services £75,813 | Health £50,556 |
| Bid Manager | £58,886 | £8,348 | £67,234 | £77,379 | £68,807 | £73,118 | Law £81,478 | Health £58,357 |
| Head of Bid Writing | £61,930 | £7,640 | £69,570 | £62,912 | £54,800 | £61,000 | IT £79,000 | Defence £54,000 |
| Head of Proposal Management | £74,341 | £11,647 | £85,988 | £76,670 | £65,500 | £57,667 | Financial Services £94,444 | Health £57,167 |
| Head of Bid Management | £81,101 | £12,126 | £93,227 | £83,537 | £73,011 | £76,097 | Financial Services £91,625 | Health £61,400 |
Per-role profile
| Role | % working overtime | Gender (M/F) | Average age | % satisfied | % in role < 2 yrs | % degree or higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bid Coordinator | 55% | 73 / 27 | 36 | 49% | 39% | 67% |
| Bid Writer | 49% | 70 / 30 | 38 | 63% | 58% | 81% |
| Proposal Manager | 72% | 81 / 19 | 38 | 67% | 45% | 69% |
| Bid Manager | 78% | 64 / 36 | 40 | 48% | 44% | 75% |
| Head of Bid Writing | 59% | 49 / 51 | 47 | 68% | 33% | 70% |
| Head of Proposal Management | 73% | 66 / 34 | 46 | 65% | 36% | 75% |
| Head of Bid Management | 81% | 51 / 49 | 46 | 63% | 40% | 73% |
Highlights: Bid Managers earn most in Law (£81,478); the senior roles peak in Financial Services. Bid Coordinator is the fastest-growing role (+20.1% since 2022) and the youngest (average age 36). Heads of Bid Writing and Heads of Proposal Management are the only roles whose basic pay fell in cash terms since 2022 (−7.1% and −3.6%). The gender split rebalances with seniority — from 81% male Proposal Managers to near-even at Head level.
Salary by region (2025)
The South East pays the highest average basic salary at £76,792; the North East & Cumbria the lowest at £53,615. Fully home-based professionals (all UK) average £65,695. Regional spread is widest for Proposal Managers:
| Role | Highest-paying region | Lowest-paying region | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bid Manager | South East £83,298 | North East £62,063 | 35% |
| Proposal Manager | London £75,395 | North East £43,000 | 75% |
| Bid Writer | London £59,412 | North East £40,000 | 49% |
| Bid Coordinator | South East £44,111 | Wales £31,000 | 42% |
Salary by industry (top 10, average basic)
| Industry | Average basic salary |
|---|---|
| Law | £75,545 |
| Information Technology | £75,283 |
| Financial Services | £75,138 |
| Defence | £73,465 |
| Construction | £70,645 |
| Professional Services | £68,871 |
| Facilities Management | £63,923 |
| Recruitment | £61,706 |
| Engineering | £59,072 |
| Health & Medical | £52,481 |
A 44% pay gap separates the highest (Law) and lowest (Health & Medical) of the top 10 industries.
Salary by experience (2025)
| Experience in the profession | Average basic salary |
|---|---|
| Less than 12 months | £34,900 |
| 2–5 years | £46,112 |
| 5+ years | £59,490 |
| 10+ years | £72,297 |
| 20+ years | £84,292 |
| 30+ years | £90,556 |
Pay by qualification (selected)
There are many routes to a higher salary — over 50 qualifications and memberships were recorded. Highest-earning credentials include IoD membership (£116,750 average), APMP Professional Level (£98,667), CIPS (£85,400), PMP (£82,941), APMP Capture Practitioner (£81,450), PRINCE2 Practitioner (£77,424) and APMP Practitioner Level (£75,338). 90% of respondents hold A-levels or higher; 74% a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Gender
Across all roles, men earn 15.2% more than women on average (£74,915 vs £65,020) — narrowed from 23% in 2022. Proposal Manager is the only core role where women out-earn men on average (by 3%). Women hold the majority of “Head of” roles in proposal management and bid management.
FAQs
What is the average bid and proposal salary in the UK?
£68,940 in 2025 (median £65,000), based on the Bid Solutions survey of 1,422 professionals.
What is the average Bid Manager salary in the UK?
£58,886, with a contractor day rate averaging £659 (2025).
What is the average Bid Writer salary?
£45,884, with a day rate averaging £602 (2025).
What is the average Proposal Manager salary?
£54,348, with a day rate averaging £784 — the highest day rate of the core roles (2025).
What is the highest-paid bid role?
Head of Bid Management, at an average of £81,101 (2025).
Which UK region pays bid professionals the most?
The South East, at £76,792 average basic salary; the North East & Cumbria pays least at £53,615.
Which industry pays bid professionals the most?
Law (£75,545 average), just ahead of IT and Financial Services; Health & Medical pays least of the top 10 (£52,481).
How much do freelance bid consultants earn?
The median total annual contract earnings for a consultant with 95%+ utilisation is £110,000 (2025).
How much does a Bid Manager earn in a large company?
In large enterprises (250+ staff) Bid Managers average £77,379, versus £68,807 in medium-sized firms. Across all employers the average basic is £58,886.
Which industry pays Bid Managers the most?
Law, at an average of £81,478; Health pays least at £58,357.
What can a freelance Bid Writer earn in a year?
At an average £602 day rate and 80% utilisation, around £114,102 — almost the same as a contract Bid Manager, despite the lower day rate.
Which bid roles saw pay fall since 2022?
In cash terms, Heads of Bid Writing (−7.1%) and Heads of Proposal Management (−3.6%). Once RPI inflation is factored in, every role except Bid Coordinator fell in real terms.
The 2025 UK Bid & Proposal
Salary Survey represents the most
comprehensive study ever undertaken.
Contact Us
If you manage a Bid, Proposal or Work-Winning Team and require bespoke salary benchmarking data, or if you require specific salary guidance on a role you are recruiting, please book a meeting with one of the Bid Solutions team.
