💵 Price-to-beat
Labor ratesBefore you put a number on a bid, see what the government has actually paid per hour for a role — from public . Search a job title to get the going rate — so you price to win and still profit.
Your price-to-beat for Program Manager
$179/hr
That's the median awarded rate — bid near it to look competitive without underselling. To win on price, aim toward $150/hr (the lower quarter). Much above $213/hrand you'll likely look expensive; the ceiling seen is $488/hr.
The awarded range · 2,096 rates
$150
Win on price
$123
Typical low
$179
Median
$213
Getting pricey
$488
Ceiling
How to use this number
- These are fully-burdened hourly rates — they already include the company's overhead and profit, not just salary. It's the number you'd put on a bid, not what you pay the employee.
- Price for the evaluation. If a solicitation is lowest-price-technically-acceptable, lean toward the $150/hr end. If it's best-value (quality matters), the median is safe and leaves margin.
- Don't race to the bottom. Bidding far below $123/hr can read as “they don't understand the work” and get you tossed on realism — as risky as bidding too high.
Source: GSA CALC+ (Contract-Awarded Labor Category), public government data — fully-burdened hourly ceiling rates from awarded GSA schedule contracts. Rates vary by clearance, education, experience, and place of performance; treat this as a benchmark, not a quote. Always price to your own real costs and confirm terms in the solicitation.
Now see the contracts you can win
AskTuvo matches live government contracts to your business and tells you which you can win — free. Look up rates any time from your toolkit.
See my matches — free