What is the Average Grant Writer Salary?
Understanding the average grant writer salary provides valuable insight into financial prospects and market demand. This information can help aspiring grant writers gauge potential earnings and make informed career decisions.
According to the popular salary reporting platform Glassdoor, a grant writer’s salary is between $37,000 and $117,000.
This article covers the average grant writer’s salary,r duties, responsibilities, and career paths.
Let’s dive right in.
Average Grant Writer’s Salary
The grant writer position is a full-time commitment in most cases.
However, some organizations tend to get grant writers on a contractual basis. You can also find plenty of grant writers on freelance websites.
Furthermore, each industry has different regulations for grants. Industries that pay the highest grant writer salaries are healthcare, computer science, and management services.
Grant writers working in STEM-related companies and healthcare organizations tend to earn more due to an increased need for complex knowledge. You can also increase your salary by taking certification courses that showcase your ability.
Let’s go over several salary sources.
Glassdoor
According to Glassdoor, the national average base salary for grant writers is $51,395. The average salary range is between $33,000 and $81,000, with higher-end pay in cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, and New York City.
Any employee can upload and add anonymous annual salary reports and enter benefits information, cost of living estimates, employer reviews, and total compensation values.
You can also check various salary estimates on the site by adding more filters. For example, you can make more precise searches with the following filters.
- Choose your industry for salary estimates.
- Enter the approximate size of your company based on the total number of employees.
- Enter the combined years of experience in the position.
You can also look at the salaries of related jobs, such as proposal writer, medical writer, and more.
Glassdoor offers one of the best estimates and most detailed information on the grant writer’s salary.
Indeed
On Indeed, the average grant writer salary in the United States is $62,163.
In addition, grant writers sometimes receive additional cash bonuses and monetary compensation. However, that usually depends on the company and industry.
The site also shows you the most common employee benefits you can get while working as a grant writer.
Expected benefits for the grant writer role include a 403b, dental insurance, employee assistance programs, work-from-home privileges, and flexible scheduling.
Furthermore, Indeed shows you what cities offer the best grant writer salaries. The cities in the U.S. that receive the highest pay for grant writers include Sacramento, New York City, Omaha, Phoenix, and San Francisco.
You can set up customized job alerts based on specific salary estimates. As a result, you’ll only get job alerts for grant writer jobs with a particular salary and above.
PayScale
According to PayScale, the median salary for grant writers in the U.S. is $52,794. That brings the average hourly rate to around $32,71. The average salary range is between $45,000 and $71,000.
In addition, grant writers can earn up to $5,000 in bonuses, $20,000 in profit-sharing, and $11,000 in commissions.
PayScaleprovides a holistic view of salary data, estimates, total compensation, and information on employee benefits.
You can also find gender-based pay estimates, cost-of-living estimates, and other pay-related information.
Furthermore, PayScale shows you what states offer the most pay to grant writers. According to successful grant writers, proposal writers, and organizations, New York and California are the highest-paying states. The highest-paying cities include New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Career Outlook for a Grant Writer
A grant writer is a relatively entry-level position. However, an individual can advance by working within the industry and gaining professional experience. Additionally, they can upskill themselves in business development and management to achieve more senior and well-paying roles.
A professional can become a grants manager after gaining crucial working experience and sharpening their writing abilities. Handling more significant responsibilities and supervising the junior positions gives them the necessary background to move to a director of grants role. Alternatively, they can become the director of development at the non-profit organization.
The average compensations for more senior positions on the technical writer career path (as per PayScale and reported in August 2024) are given below:
Grants Manager
As a grants manager, the individual has to review all grant assignments and provide writers with the necessary guidelines. Therefore, the role requires managerial abilities and writing skills. The average annual pay for the role is $63,057 and increases with more years of experience.
Director, Grants
The director of grants oversees all the organization’s strategic decisions related to grants and donations. In addition, they guide grant managers and grant writers on their approach. This is a significantly senior position, and the director of grants receives an average annual pay of $81,318.
You must sharpen your skills and gain relevant knowledge to achieve a better-paying grant writing position. To grab an impressive grant writer salary, you should check out our grant writing certification at TechnicalWriterHQ.
Top Paying Cities for Proposal Writers
As per ZipRecruiter, the cities with the top-paying grant writing positions, categorized by location in the U.S., are given below.
U.S. West Coast
- Phoenix: $80,679
- Los Angeles: $87,546
U.S. Midwest/Rocky Mountains
- Chicago: $72,166
- Detroit: $66,467
U.S. East Coast
- New York: $82,324
U.S. South
- Atlanta: $76,939
- New Orleans: $74,134
Education Level for Grant Writer Role
Organizations rely on grant writers to create eloquent and persuasive grant proposals that help run essential initiatives. However, such outcomes aren’t possible until the grant writer has the qualifications and experience. Therefore, having the right academic qualifications and a strong portfolio is essential.
A grant writer should have a Bachelor’s in English, creative writing, or journalism. Such programs give the individual the solid writing and persuasion skills necessary to achieve a well-paying grant writing position.
There are many certifications that you can take to improve. Some prominent ones are given below:
- TechnicalWritingHQ: It offers a dedicated grant writing certification that helps you build writing and communication skills
- University of Massachusetts: It offers a professional certificate in grant writing, focusing on imparting writers with advanced skills.
- SDSU: Their professional grant writing certificate takes you through essential aspects like funds research and grant development.
Ending Note
The average grant writer’s salary depends on the organization and industry.
That’s why professional grant writers and businesses focus on one industry. They develop personal benchmarks to improve and focus on gaining technical knowledge and experience. As a result, a grant writer can negotiate a better salary.
Since becoming an expert grant writer takes time, effort, and learning, it’s best to develop a habit of keeping up to date with your industry’s rules, formats, and regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are the most frequently asked questions about grant writing.
How do you become a better grant writer to negotiate for better salaries?
The best way to become a better grant writer is to start taking technical writing courses and certifications to increase your knowledge, expertise, and accreditations. You can also learn more about your industry and follow grant writer best practices. For example, learn about good documentation practices.
What is a grant writing career, and what does it involve?
A grant writing career focuses on crafting compelling grant proposals to secure funding for various organizations, including non-profits, educational institutions, and research entities. As a grant writer, you will be responsible for understanding your organization’s or client’s funding needs and developing proposals that align with the interests and requirements of potential funders. This role typically involves researching grant opportunities, writing detailed proposals, and managing application processes. It can be a fulfilling career for those who enjoy writing, researching, and helping organizations achieve their financial goals.
How does a master’s degree benefit a career in grant writing?
A master’s degree can significantly enhance a career in grant writing by providing advanced knowledge and highly valued skills. Programs related to grant writing, nonprofit management, or public administration can offer specialized training in writing effective grant proposals, understanding funding mechanisms, and managing donor relationships. This higher level of education can also improve job prospects, as many employers seek candidates with advanced degrees to handle complex grant applications and develop strategic funding plans.
What are the essential components of a successful grant proposal?
A successful grant proposal typically includes several key components. First, it must clearly define the problem or need that the funding will address. This is followed by outlining the proposed project or solution, including specific goals, objectives, and expected outcomes. Additionally, a detailed budget is required to show how the funds will be allocated and a plan for evaluating the project’s success. Finally, the proposal should demonstrate the organization’s capacity to carry out the project and its alignment with the funder’s priorities. Crafting a proposal that effectively communicates these elements is crucial for securing funding.
How can one find funding opportunities for grant writing?
Finding funding opportunities involves a combination of research and networking. Start by exploring grant databases and funding portals, which provide a comprehensive list of available grants across various sectors. You can also check government websites, private foundations, and corporate grant programs for potential funding sources. Networking with other grant writers, attending industry conferences, and joining relevant professional organizations can help identify new opportunities and stay informed about upcoming grant offerings. Reviewing these resources will update you on available grants matching your organization’s needs.
If you are new to grant writing and are looking to break-in, we recommend taking our Grant Writing Certification Course, where you will learn the fundamentals of being a grant writer, how to write proposals that win grants, and how to stand out as a grant writing candidate.
