7 Ways to Make Money as a Pinterest Manager and Earn $1,000–$5,000 a Month

If you’ve ever spent time pinning recipes, home decor, or business tips, you already know how addictive Pinterest can be. But here’s something most people don’t realize: you can actually make money as a Pinterest manager helping real businesses grow their traffic and sales on the platform.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional advice.

I’ll be honest with you. When I first heard about this side hustle, I thought it sounded too easy to be real. But the more I dug into it, the more it made sense. Pinterest is a visual search engine, not just a social media platform, and businesses absolutely need help standing out on it.

The best part? The barrier to entry is low, the tools are mostly free or cheap, and clients pay recurring monthly fees. Let’s break down exactly how it works.

What Does a Pinterest Manager Actually Do?

A Pinterest manager handles the day-to-day Pinterest strategy for a business. That means you’re not just pinning random things. You’re building a system that drives real, consistent traffic to a client’s website or store.

According to Hootsuite, Pinterest drives more referral traffic to websites than Twitter and LinkedIn combined. That’s a huge deal for bloggers, e-commerce brands, and online service providers who want more eyeballs without paying for ads.

Here’s what a typical Pinterest manager does for clients:

• Creates visually appealing pins using Canva or Adobe tools
• Writes keyword-rich pin titles and descriptions for SEO
• Schedules pins using tools like Tailwind
• Organizes boards with strategic keywords
• Tracks analytics and adjusts strategy monthly
• Sets up and optimizes Pinterest business accounts
• Runs Pinterest ad campaigns (an add-on service)

It’s creative, flexible work you can do from anywhere. Many managers handle 3–6 clients simultaneously, which is where the income really adds up.

How Much Can You Realistically Earn as a Pinterest Manager?

This is the question everyone wants answered, and the range is wider than you might think. Your income depends on how many clients you take on and what services you offer.

Beginner Pinterest managers typically charge $300–$500 per client per month. Once you have a solid portfolio, rates jump to $700–$1,500 per client. Experienced managers who offer strategy, ads, and full account management can charge $2,000 or more per client monthly.

According to Glassdoor, the average annual income for a Pinterest manager ranges from $40,000 to $72,000. As a freelancer setting your own rates and client load, the ceiling is much higher than that.

Here’s a simple income example. Say you have four clients at $500 per month each. That’s $2,000 a month. Add two more clients as you grow, and you’re at $3,000 without working full-time hours. That’s a serious side hustle.

What Are the 7 Ways to Make Money as a Pinterest Manager?

There isn’t just one income path here. A smart Pinterest manager stacks multiple services and revenue streams to build a stable monthly income. Here are the seven best ways to do it.

1. Monthly Pinterest Management Retainers

This is the bread and butter of the business. You charge clients a flat monthly fee to handle their Pinterest account. It’s predictable, recurring income that feels like a paycheck. Start by offering a simple starter package that includes a set number of pins per week and a monthly report.

2. Pinterest Account Setup and Optimization

Many businesses have a Pinterest account sitting dormant with zero strategy behind it. You can charge a one-time setup fee of $150–$500 to optimize their profile, create keyword-rich board descriptions, and set them up for success. This is a great way to get your first paid project fast.

3. Pin Design Services

Some business owners want to manage their own scheduling but can’t design pins that actually get clicks. You can offer standalone pin design packages, for example 20 custom pins for $150–$300. It’s quick to deliver and easy to scale by creating templates in Canva.

4. Pinterest Strategy Consulting

As you build expertise, you can sell strategy sessions for $75–$200 per hour. Business owners pay you to audit their account, review their analytics, and give them a clear action plan. This is a high-value, low-time service once you know what you’re doing.

5. Pinterest Ad Management

According to Pinterest Business, advertisers on Pinterest see an average return of $2 for every $1 spent on ads. Businesses want results like that, and they’ll pay a premium for someone to manage their campaigns. Add Pinterest ad management to your services and charge 10–20% of the monthly ad spend on top of your base fee.

6. Teaching and Courses

Once you’ve been managing accounts for six months or more, you have real knowledge other people will pay for. Create a mini-course on Teachable or Gumroad teaching beginners how to use Pinterest for their business. This becomes a passive income stream that earns while you sleep.

7. Affiliate Marketing Through Pinterest

This one is for your own personal account. You can use Pinterest to promote affiliate products and earn commissions when people click your pins and buy. According to NerdWallet, affiliate marketing can generate anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars a month depending on your niche and traffic. Pair this with your client work and you’ve got multiple income layers going at once.

How Do You Find Your First Pinterest Manager Client?

Finding that first client feels scary, but it’s simpler than you think. You don’t need a big audience or a flashy website to start. You just need to show up where your ideal clients are already hanging out.

Here are the best places to find Pinterest manager clients right now:

• Facebook Groups: Search for groups for bloggers, Etsy sellers, and online entrepreneurs. These communities are full of people who need Pinterest help but don’t know where to find it.
• LinkedIn: Create a simple profile positioning yourself as a Pinterest marketing specialist. Reach out to small business owners directly.
• Freelance platforms: Fiverr and Upwork both have active markets for Pinterest services. Set up a gig and optimize it with keywords like “Pinterest management” and “pin design.”
• Instagram: Many bloggers and product-based business owners are active on Instagram. Slide into their DMs with a genuine compliment and a short pitch about how you can help their Pinterest traffic.
• Cold email: Find bloggers in your niche through Google, check their Pinterest, and send a short personalized email explaining what you noticed and how you can help.

Real talk: my friend Sara got her first client within two weeks of posting in a blogging Facebook group. She offered to manage one account for free for a month in exchange for a testimonial. That testimonial helped her land three paying clients the following month. Don’t be too proud to start with a free trial or discounted rate to build credibility fast.

What Skills and Tools Do You Need to Get Started?

One of the best things about this side hustle is that you don’t need a lot of tools or technical skills to begin. The learning curve is genuinely manageable, even if you’ve never run a business account before.

Here are the core skills you’ll want to develop:

• Basic graphic design (Canva makes this easy even for non-designers)
• Pinterest SEO: understanding keywords, board optimization, and pin descriptions
• Data reading: interpreting Pinterest Analytics to understand what’s working
• Scheduling: using Tailwind or Pinterest’s native scheduler to batch-post pins
• Client communication: sending clear monthly reports and managing expectations

The tools you’ll use most often are Canva for design, Tailwind for scheduling, and Pinterest Analytics for reporting. Canva and Pinterest Analytics both have free plans. Tailwind starts at around $15 a month and pays for itself with your first client.

You can learn everything you need from YouTube tutorials and Pinterest’s own free business resource library. Give yourself two to four weeks of self-study before pitching your first client. That’s all it takes to feel confident enough to start.

How Do You Scale a Pinterest Management Business Beyond a Side Hustle?

Starting with one or two clients is great, but the real money comes when you treat this like a real business with systems, packages, and growth strategies baked in.

According to Bankrate, freelancers who specialize in a niche earn significantly more than generalists. So instead of managing Pinterest for any and all businesses, pick a niche you understand well, food bloggers, interior designers, wedding photographers, or Etsy shop owners. Specializing makes your pitches sharper and your results faster.

Package your services clearly. Create a Starter, Growth, and Premium tier with different deliverables and prices. This removes the awkward “how much do you charge?” conversation and positions you as a professional from day one.

As your roster grows, you can hire a junior Pinterest VA to handle repetitive tasks like pinning and formatting, while you focus on strategy and client relationships. That’s how you turn a side hustle into a real agency. If you want to explore other ways to build this kind of business, check out these side hustle ideas that pair well with Pinterest management.

You can also build complementary offerings like content creation, blog writing, or email newsletters. Many Pinterest managers evolve into full-service online business ideas that generate multiple income streams from a single client relationship.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Pinterest manager charge per month?

Most Pinterest managers charge between $300 and $1,500 per client per month, depending on the scope of work. Beginners often start at $300–$500 and raise rates as they build a portfolio.

Do you need experience to become a Pinterest manager?

No formal experience is required. Most successful Pinterest managers are self-taught. You can learn through free resources, Pinterest’s own business guides, and by practicing on a personal or mock account.

Is Pinterest management still profitable in 2025?

Yes. According to Pinterest, the platform has over 522 million monthly active users and is still a top traffic driver for bloggers, e-commerce stores, and small businesses. Demand for Pinterest managers remains strong in 2025.

What tools does a Pinterest manager need?

The essential tools are Canva for pin design, Tailwind for scheduling, Pinterest Analytics, and Google Analytics. Most of these have free tiers, so startup costs are very low.

Start Pinning Your Way to Real Income

Here’s the truth: most people scroll Pinterest without ever realizing it’s a legitimate business opportunity sitting right in front of them. You don’t need a college degree, a big following, or thousands of dollars to start. You just need a willingness to learn, a few free tools, and the confidence to pitch your first client.

The businesses that need Pinterest help are everywhere. Bloggers, Etsy sellers, online coaches, recipe creators, interior designers, and wedding planners all want more traffic without figuring out Pinterest themselves. That’s your opening.

Start small. Offer one simple service. Get one client. Get results. Then raise your rates and scale. Every Pinterest manager earning $3,000 or $5,000 a month started exactly where you are right now.

If you want to build real financial freedom, this kind of skill-based service business is one of the fastest paths there. It costs almost nothing to start, it pays recurring monthly income, and it can grow into something much bigger than a side hustle. The pins are waiting. Go place them.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional advice.