What can you earn as a marketing interim manager?

As a marketing professional looking for a new challenge, an interim role can be an attractive option. In the Dutch market, the average hourly rate for a marketing interim manager is between €85 and €125, but these figures can vary greatly depending on your experience and specialization.
Are you a starter with 2-5 years of experience? Then you can typically charge rates between €75 and €95 per hour. As a medior professional with 5-10 years of experience, this rises to €95 to €120 per hour. And do you have more than 10 years of experience and a proven track record? Then as a senior interim Marketing Manager, you can often charge between €120 and €150 per hour or even more.
Your sector also affects your earning potential. In technology and financial services, you can expect higher rates than in non-profit or education. Specialization in digital marketing, growth marketing or marketing automation, for example, can significantly increase your market value because of the scarcity of this expertise.
Good to know: as of 2025, a minimum rate of €33 per hour may be introduced for self-employed professionals. However, this will not be an obstacle for you as a marketing professional, as the average rates in our industry are well above this threshold.

How can you determine an optimal hourly rate for your interim marketing assignments?

Several factors come into play when determining your hourly rate as a marketing interim manager. An understanding of these will enable you to position your value correctly with potential clients.
Experience and expertise form the basis of your hourly rate. The more years of relevant experience and the deeper your expertise in specific marketing disciplines, the higher the rate you can charge. If you are a specialist in marketing automation or data-driven marketing strategy, for example, position yourself emphatically as such to justify a higher rate.
Educational background and certifications bolster your credibility. Make sure relevant master’s degrees or certifications from Google, HubSpot or other platforms are clearly listed on your resume and LinkedIn profile to back up your higher rate.
The complexity and responsibility of the assignment will help determine your rate. If you are responsible for leading an entire marketing team or implementing a new marketing strategy, you can charge a higher rate than for a sub-project.
Project duration and availability are important negotiating points. For short, intensive projects, you can charge a higher hourly rate than for longer assignments. If you are immediately available for an urgent project, use this as an argument for a premium rate.
Market conditions such as supply and demand affect your negotiating position. Keep an eye on the job market and know when your specific expertise is in short supply. In certain sectors, the demand for marketing expertise is higher, which gives you a stronger position in rate negotiations.
Remember that as an independent professional, you have costs such as taxes, pension accrual, insurance and periods without assignments. Factor these into your rate to build a sustainable career as an interim manager.

Your value as a marketing interim manager compared to permanent positions

As a marketing professional considering the move into interim management, it is important to understand how your potential earnings compare to permanent employment.
As a marketer in permanent employment with a gross monthly salary of €4,500 to €7,000 (depending on level and experience) you will cost the employer including employer expenses approximately €65,000 to €105,000 per year. Converted, this is about €40 to €65 per hour.
As an interim manager, you can charge between €75 and €150 per hour. This higher rate is justified because it should cover all the costs you bear as a self-employed person:

• Taxes and administrative fees
• Pension accrual
• Disability Insurance
• Periods without assignments
• Own training and development
• Acquisition costs

When presenting yourself to potential clients, emphasize your advantages as an interim manager:

• Flexible deployment when organizations need it
• Instant results without a long familiarisation period
• Specific expertise for targeted challenges
• Fresh look at existing processes and strategies

Although permanent employment offers security, working as an interim manager gives you the freedom to tackle a variety of challenging projects, expand your network and deepen your expertise in different organizations and sectors.

How do you prove your added value as a marketing interim manager?

As a marketing professional looking to position yourself as an interim manager, it is crucial to be able to concretely demonstrate your added value. This will help you justify your higher hourly rate during job interviews.
You can prove your value by focusing on:
Quick results through your immediate employability and expertise. Collect case studies from previous assignments that demonstrate how you achieved results without a long familiarisation period. This shows that clients get a quick return on their investment in you.
Knowledge transfer to existing team. Document how you not only achieved results in previous roles, but also transferred knowledge and skills to permanent employees, ensuring that the organization continues to benefit from your efforts.
Objective view of existing processes. Prepare examples of situations where you, as an outsider, have identified pain points and made improvements that were overlooked internally.
You have the best chances for well-paying assignments in these situations:

• During transition periods such as organizational changes or repositioning
• When launching new products or services
• For implementing new marketing technologies or processes
• In case of temporary understaffing due to departure or prolonged absence
• For specific interim assignments for which internal expertise is lacking

To prove your value, it is important to ask about the specific goals and KPIs of the assignment during interviews. That way, you can link your experience directly to the organization’s challenges and show how you will achieve measurable results.

Conclusion: This is how to optimally position yourself as a marketing interim manager

As a marketing professional exploring the job market, interim management offers attractive opportunities in terms of rates and professional development. However, the success of your interim career depends on how you position yourself.
Keep these key points in mind when setting your rates and seeking assignments:

• Communicate clearly how your higher rate translates into faster and better results
• Highlight your specific experience in certain industries or with specific challenges
• Be transparent about your overall approach: what exactly are you delivering for the agreed upon rate?
• Share concrete examples of results achieved on similar assignments

When looking for assignments, focus not only on the rate but also on projects that match your expertise and ambitions. An assignment in which you can fully utilize your talents and develop new skills contributes to your long-term value as an interim manager.
At WerfSelect, we help professionals like you find challenging marketing assignments that fit your profile. We look beyond resumes and rates to ensure an optimal match between your talent and the challenges of organizations.
By clearly communicating your added value and negotiating your rates well, you ensure a successful and financially attractive career as a marketing interim manager. Invest in your personal brand, continue to develop your expertise and build a strong network to secure the most interesting assignments at the best rates.