Salary guide, May 2025
Proposal / Quotation Engineer pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Sales Engineers in the United States was $124,900 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $92,890 and $161,230.
Broader occupation · SOC 41-9031 Sales Engineers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $73,870 | $92,890 | $124,900 | $161,230 | $195,270 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35.52 | $44.66 | $60.05 | $77.52 | $93.88 |
BLS estimated 51,790 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 41-9031 Sales Engineers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $128,670 | $106,630 to $155,850 | 510 | 0.54 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $123,350 | $80,210 to $160,570 | 450 | 0.92 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $97,920 | $73,490 to $138,100 | 340 | 0.72 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $129,520 | $97,400 to $193,100 | 570 | 2.29 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $147,570 | $120,730 to $172,340 | 3,440 | 1.09 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $147,570 | $120,730 to $172,340 | 3,440 | 1.09 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $133,280 | $101,080 to $166,070 | 2,690 | 1.99 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $104,070 | $91,250 to $136,550 | 790 | 0.52 |
Rank every metro for Proposal / Quotation Engineer
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.
- Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing$168,500
- Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing$137,990
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing$135,000
- Communications Equipment Manufacturing$131,840
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing$128,980
- Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing$128,680
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing$117,940
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing$117,940
- Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing$115,950
- Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing$112,680
- Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing$109,210
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing$107,860
- Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)$104,940
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing$103,590
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing$103,530
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 10,860 | $83,120 | $103,140 | $134,440 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 3,480 | $97,640 | $128,980 | $166,870 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 3,140 | $79,660 | $96,510 | $117,580 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 2,150 | $79,430 | $94,180 | $116,970 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 1,560 | $81,450 | $107,860 | $139,410 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 1,470 | $80,020 | $97,570 | $115,000 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 980 | $87,930 | $103,590 | $131,960 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 890 | $99,550 | $135,000 | $174,280 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 670 | $82,950 | $102,240 | $124,330 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 670 | $82,910 | $103,530 | $134,580 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 620 | $137,480 | $168,500 | $215,470 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 590 | $75,320 | $96,770 | $105,230 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 560 | $84,070 | $101,670 | $126,660 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 450 | $79,460 | $97,380 | $112,590 |
| 334200 | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 400 | $103,000 | $131,840 | $151,950 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 390 | $92,680 | $115,950 | $137,650 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 370 | $82,900 | $102,200 | $129,640 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 310 | $84,110 | $102,340 | $132,150 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 290 | $85,250 | $101,610 | $133,640 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 290 | $79,220 | $92,830 | $103,510 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 260 | $81,580 | $109,210 | $135,470 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 210 | $89,340 | $104,940 | $146,340 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 210 | $80,760 | $101,090 | $119,280 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 200 | $93,710 | $112,680 | $155,730 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 190 | $83,910 | $100,560 | $119,780 |
| 332710 | Machine Shops | 190 | $81,850 | $95,670 | $107,760 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 180 | $72,530 | $95,850 | $112,540 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 160 | $81,330 | $93,860 | $106,860 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 150 | $86,780 | $101,010 | $119,360 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 150 | $97,710 | $128,680 | $137,120 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 100 | $91,310 | $117,940 | $132,870 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 100 | $91,310 | $117,940 | $132,870 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 100 | $71,460 | $84,500 | $95,440 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 80 | $78,240 | $87,170 | $108,620 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 70 | $66,150 | $80,020 | $102,710 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 50 | $79,090 | $94,850 | $114,310 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 40 | $83,710 | $98,100 | $132,400 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 40 | $102,370 | $137,990 | $161,960 |
| 335100 | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 30 | $85,420 | $103,490 | $163,220 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Proposal / Quotation Engineer, separate the guaranteed salary from any discretionary bonus or commission arrangement. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.
Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $90,690 | $121,520 | $159,200 |
| May 2025 | $92,890 | $124,900 | $161,230 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about the decision behind the experience?
The useful evidence is a quotation that made exclusions and performance assumptions explicit, not a list of equipment or projects. Discuss what information was available during a quotation that made exclusions and performance assumptions explicit. A clear explanation exposes proposal ownership rather than authority to redesign the whole product much better than asking whether the candidate has held the title before.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Proposal / Quotation Engineer?
The median annual wage for Sales Engineers in the United States was $124,900 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $92,890 and $161,230. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $73,870. 90% earned less than $195,270.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Proposal / Quotation Engineer at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 51,790 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
VP of Sales (Industrial) pay Regional Sales Manager / Technical Sales Manager pay Sales Engineer pay Applications Engineer pay Field Service Engineer pay Proposal / Quotation Engineer pay ranked across all metros Open jobs Proposal / Quotation Engineer recruiting Check an offer for this role
What does this data mean for your opening?
Proposal and Quotation Engineers in the May 2025 data have a national median of $124,900, reflecting a $3,380 change from the May 2024 median of $121,520. As these are mapped to Sales Engineers (SOC 41-9031), they reflect the 51,790 employees in this category. These figures are annual and exclude the variable bonuses that are standard for engineering-driven quote generation.
New York-Newark-Jersey City reports a median of $147,570, while Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington shows a median of $133,280. The medianChange for New York was -$8,600, while Dallas saw a $7,010 increase. These are annual totals. Manufacturing Headhunters notes that these represent the local labor markets for high-employment areas. The differences between these two hubs highlight how regional industrial dynamics impact quote and proposal engineering demand.
National industry benchmarks show higher earnings in Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing at $168,500, followed by Iron and Steel Mills at $137,990 and Semiconductors at $135,000. These are national industry medians and provide a strong baseline for industrial quote roles. Because these roles are part of the larger Sales Engineers category, these industry-specific rows are the most relevant benchmarks. Managers should use these to justify pay differences between general engineering roles and high-value quotation engineering.
Candidates in this role are judged on their ability to create quotes that clearly define exclusions and performance assumptions. This position requires proposal ownership rather than the authority to redesign products from the ground up. The middle-band width of $68,340 provides a solid anchor, but hiring managers must adjust based on the specific manufacturing processes they employ. The location quotient shows where these jobs are concentrated but does not specify if the candidates possess the exact industry expertise needed.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Are these figures for lead engineers?
No, these figures cover the general Sales Engineers occupation. Lead engineering roles with design authority may command higher compensation than these medians suggest.
How should I interpret the negative medianChange in New York?
The -$8,600 change reflects an aggregate shift in the New York data reported to the BLS. It can be caused by changes in reporting or shifting workforce structures in that metro.
What defines the middle-band width?
It is the difference between the P25 ($92,890) and the P75 ($161,230) of the Sales Engineers group. This is the range where the middle 50% of earners fall.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4