Side-by-side distribution
Grant Writer
$81,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 59.5%
- Live roles
- 74
Program Officer
$65,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 50.9%
- Live roles
- 584
Highest-paying jobs
Digital Consulting Manager, Oracle Cloud PPM & Grants
Workday Grants Manager - US or Canada
Senior Manager, Research Grants and Submissions
✍️ Grant Writer ✍️
Grants Compliance Manager (NCS) - MONSE
Grant Coordinator/Editor - Department of Surgery
Editor/Grant Writer, Department of Surgery
Special Projects Coordinator, Grant Services Specialist III (NCS) - Baltimore City Health Department
Grants Manager
Photonics Initiative Post-award Grants Manager
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Program Officer, Federal Relations (10-month LTE*)
Senior Program Officer
Chief Program Officer, Policy, Research, and Prevention
Chief Program Officer, Exoneration Strategy & Support
Senior Program Officer, Evidence for Systems Improvement (11-month LTE*)
Senior Program Officer, Policy and Evidence
Senior Program Officer, Vaccine Forecasting & Financing
Program Officer, Maternal and Child Survival & Women's Health
Facilities Capital Investments Program Regional Coordinator
Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Lead Coordinator, Pediatric Trauma Program
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
University of Pennsylvania
|
$71,814 | 6 |
|
City of Baltimore
|
$92,739 | 3 |
| RF Research Foundation of CUNY | $90,000 | 3 |
|
Huron
|
$153,750 | 2 |
| MS Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $98,250 | 2 |
Bannerbank
|
$87,811 | 2 |
| IR International Rescue Committee | $83,641 | 2 |
| SO State of Oklahoma | $71,250 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
The University of Texas at Austin
|
$54,500 | 20 |
Penn State University
|
$49,722 | 12 |
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
|
$103,540 | 9 |
|
University of Pennsylvania
|
$57,990 | 7 |
Georgetown University
|
$54,995 | 7 |
| MG Mass General Brigham | $50,034 | 7 |
Esri
|
$125,840 | 6 |
Washington University in St. Louis
|
$61,942 | 6 |
Grant Writer vs Program Officer: which pays more?
The median for Grant Writer is $81,500 per year (typically $64,791–$92,560), versus $65,000 for Program Officer ($53,201–$92,000). That puts Grant Writer about 25% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Grant Writer and Program Officer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.