Salary Guidance

Bid Solutions provides the definitive salary benchmarking data for the UK Bid and Proposal profession.

Our unrivaled network has allowed us to gather the most comprehensive and accurate salary benchmarking data available. By tailoring our surveys to get to the heart of what drives candidate behaviour, we have helped our clients and candidates make informed decisions about their recruitment strategies and careers.

Key Findings - 2018 Salary Survey

• Average Salary - All roles

  

  The average industry salary across all permanent full-time roles is £51,816. This represents an 8% increase since 2015 (£48,088).

• Average Salary - Women

  

  The average salary for women is £47,211 (9.5% increase from 2015 (£43,099)).

• Average Salary - Men

  

  For men, the average is £57,321 (7.5% increase from 2015 (£53,339)). Across all those surveyed, men on average earn 21.5% more than women (the difference was 23.8% in 2015).

• In real terms, basic salary increases have outpaced inflation for the first time in our ten years of surveying salaries. Tracking inflation (source), the 2015 average female salary would now equate to £45,737. The male salary would be £56,603. In real terms, men effectively have 1% more buying power whilst women have 3% more.

• The average man in our profession is 41 (41 in 2015), and the average woman is 37 (38 in 2015). The average age of all professionals surveyed is 39. There is insufficient data to report on gender variants.

• Heads of Proposal Management are now the best paid professionals within our industry, earning £73,436. Heads of Bid Management are a close second earning £71,149. Bid / Proposal Coordinators are the lowest paid earning £30,362. Bid Managers earn £54,358 (7% increase) whilst the average Proposal Manager salary is £46,699 (4.5% increase). Bid / Proposal Writers earn £38,429 (9% increase).

• Heads of Bid Management are the best paid contractors earning £678 per day. Proposal Managers earn £553 per day (5% increase). Bid Managers earn £549 per day (3% increase). Bid / Proposal Writers earn £413 per day (8% increase).

• Professionals located in Greater London (inside the M25) attract the highest basic salaries - £58,803 (13% increase). North East England recorded the lowest salaries - £40,263 (static since 2015).

• Over 72% (up from 67% in 2015) of participants have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher. 93% have A-Levels or higher. Less than 0.5% are currently on an Apprenticeship.

• 51% (up from 27%) of respondents have achieved APMP Foundation Level or higher. 24% of respondents feel the APMP Certification programme isn't applicable to their current role (down from 37%). Disappointingly, 24% said their organisations do not support the training (previously 16%).

• 46% of respondents (down from 75%) regularly work unsocial hours but are able to claim it back as time off in lieu. 11% of respondents still work late on a regular basis. Only 11% work regular 9-5 hours.

• 48% (same as 2015) of respondents have no personal development plan. This increases to 60% for self-employed contractors.

• 59% of respondents haven't attended any training courses during the past 12 months. This rose to 73% for self-employed contractors. Only 1 in 4 respondents have attended some form of external training the past 12 months.

• 3% of respondents are unemployed / seeking work (2% in 2015). 81% are permanently employed (down from 87%). 16% are self-employed or in temporary work (up from 11%).

• 61% of respondents are either ‘Satisfied’ or ‘Very Satisfied’ with their current role. 44% are not satisfied or feel their current basic / day-rate could be better.

• 76% of those surveyed would choose work-life balance over pure financial reward (94% in 2015). Only 13% state career progression / financial reward as their main driver.

• 334 (up from 298) different job title variations were recorded in the survey.

• Brexit worries appear to be having little impact on the mind-set of the profession. 28% of respondents feel ‘Extremely Positive’ about their prospects in the next 12 months whilst only 10% are ‘Extremely Negative’.

• Balancing all relevant individual, company and market factors, a resounding 31% of respondents feel ‘Extremely Positive’ about securing a pay rise in 2018. Only 2% are extremely negative and expect a pay cut.