Hire an experienced CFO, CMO, CTO, COO or other C-suite leader for a few days a month. Compare roles and 2026 rates, then tell us what you need.
Tell us what you need and our team will introduce you to people who fit.
Or browse profiles yourself
A fractional executive is a senior leader, usually with C-suite experience, who works part-time for several companies at once. They take real ownership of a function such as finance, marketing or operations for a few hours to a few days a week, on a monthly retainer. Most fractional executive retainers cost $4,200–$12,800 a month.
The fractional model lets a growing company hire the experience of a full-time executive without the full-time cost. Instead of one company getting 50 hours a week, a fractional executive splits their week between two to four companies.
It's different from consulting. A consultant recommends and leaves. A fractional executive joins your leadership team, manages people, owns a number and stays accountable for it, just not five days a week. It's also different from interim work, which fills a vacant full-time seat for a few months.
Finance was the first function to go fractional, followed by marketing, technology and operations. Today you can find fractional leaders for almost every seat at the table, from security and legal to people and product.
TL;DR
Across all C-suite roles, fractional executives typically cost $4,200–$12,800 a month according to GoFractional's live job-post data. An independent index of published provider prices puts the US median retainer at $5,750, with the middle half between $3,000 and $10,000 and a median of $172 an hour.
From 171 mentors with a monthly plan listed. These plans cover regular calls and chat.
| Pricing model | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly or day rate | $150–$500 per hour, $1,500–$4,000 per day | Audits, diligence, planning offsites and one-off projects |
| Advisory retainer | $3,000–$6,000 per month | A few hours a month of review and decision support |
| Part-time retainer (about 1 day/week) | $6,000–$12,000 per month | Owning a function and joining the leadership team |
| Embedded retainer (2–3 days/week) | $12,000–$25,000 per month | Fundraises, rebuilds, turnarounds and fast growth |
| Full-time C-suite hire | $240,000–$550,000 per year loaded | Large, complex functions that need a daily owner |
Full-time C-suite executives typically cost $240,000–$550,000 a year once salary, bonus, benefits and equity are counted, plus a recruiting fee and a three-to-six-month search. A fractional executive at 13 hours a week usually costs 40–70% less and can start in a few weeks.
Legal, security and technology leaders charge the most per hour; controllers and chiefs of staff the least.
Advisory work costs a fraction of an embedded leader who manages a team.
A live fundraise, regulation, multiple locations or an acquisition all push rates up.
An executive who has done exactly what you need, at your stage, in your industry, commands a premium.
Rates vary a lot by role. Revenue and technology leaders charge the most; finance and HR roles have the widest spread because the work ranges from day-to-day admin to board-level strategy.
| Role | What they own | Hourly | Typical monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional CFO | Cash forecasting, fundraising, board reporting and financial controls – without a $350K salary. | $125–$210/hr | $5,000–$7,500/mo |
| Fractional CMO | Positioning, go-to-market strategy and a marketing team with direction – for a monthly retainer. | $125–$200/hr | $8,000–$12,000/mo |
| Fractional COO | Operating rhythm, processes and execution across teams, so the CEO can stop running everything. | $150–$225/hr | $8,000–$14,000/mo |
| Fractional CTO | Architecture, engineering hiring and technical due diligence from a senior CTO, 1–3 days a week. | $160–$250/hr | $12,000–$18,000/mo |
| Fractional CIO | IT strategy, vendor management, ERP and cloud projects, and IT governance, part-time. | $165–$250/hr | $7,000–$13,000/mo |
| Fractional HR leader | An HR director or chief people officer for hiring, policies, pay and culture, part-time. | $125–$215/hr | $4,000–$11,000/mo |
| Fractional controller | A fast month-end close, accurate GAAP financials and audit-ready books, part-time. | $85–$150/hr | $2,500–$8,000/mo |
| Fractional CISO | A security program, SOC 2 or ISO 27001 readiness and answers for customer security reviews. | $200–$250/hr | $4,500–$12,500/mo |
| Fractional general counsel | Contracts, employment, financing and risk from an experienced in-house lawyer, part-time. | $175–$300/hr | $3,000–$15,000/mo |
| Fractional CRO | A repeatable sales process, pipeline discipline and one owner for the revenue number. | $150–$250/hr | $12,000–$20,000/mo |
| Fractional CEO | Senior chief executives for founder transitions, turnarounds and leadership gaps. | $150–$250/hr | $8,000–$13,000/mo |
| Fractional CPO | Product strategy, a roadmap tied to revenue, and a product team that ships the right things. | $150–$230/hr | $7,000–$12,000/mo |
| Fractional chief of staff | A senior right hand for the CEO: operating rhythm, board prep and cross-team projects. | $150–$195/hr | $7,000–$10,000/mo |
Start with the problem that's costing you the most right now. These are the most common first hires and the problem each one solves.
Start with a fractional CFO. If the books themselves are a mess, add a fractional controller.
A fractional CMO if the gap is demand, a fractional CRO if it's closing and sales process.
A fractional COO to run execution, or a fractional chief of staff for a lighter, CEO-facing role.
A fractional CTO for product engineering, or a fractional CIO for internal systems and IT.
A fractional CISO to build the program and get you through SOC 2 or ISO 27001.
Fractional HR for hiring, policies and culture; a fractional general counsel for contracts and risk.
Four ways to get senior leadership, and when each one makes sense.
| Option | Time | Ownership | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional executive | A few hours to 3 days/week, ongoing | Owns a function and its results | Growing companies that need senior judgment, not 50 hours a week |
| Interim executive | Full-time, 3–9 months | Fills a vacant seat | A sudden departure, a turnaround or a deal |
| Consultant | Project | Recommends, doesn't own | A specific question with a clear end date |
| Full-time executive | Full-time | Owns everything, long-term | Large, complex functions |
Many companies use fractional leaders as a bridge: they build the function and the team, then help hire the full-time executive who takes over.
The fractional model fits best in a few specific situations.
When not to hire one: If you need someone in the building every day managing a large team, or the function is the core of your business, a full-time hire is the better choice.
Big enough to need senior judgment, too small to justify a $300,000+ salary for every function.
The CEO is also acting CFO, head of marketing and head of people, and something is slipping.
A fundraise, a rebuild, a security audit or a new market needs senior ownership for a few months.
A fractional leader shows you what the job actually involves before you commit to a full-time search.
Senior operators who have done this job. Many offer an intro call, so you can check fit before you commit.
Ask about specific outcomes, not credentials. A good candidate will tell you what didn't work as readily as what did.
Have they done this exact job at a company of your size and stage?
Can they name specific results, and what didn't work?
How many clients do they have, and how quickly do they respond?
What will they deliver in the first 30, 60 and 90 days?
How will they hand off when you hire full-time?
Still have questions? Email our team and we'll help you work out what you need.
A fractional executive is an experienced C-suite leader who works part-time for several companies, owning a function such as finance, marketing or operations for a few hours to a few days a week on a monthly retainer.
Most fractional executive retainers cost $4,200–$12,800 per month across roles. An independent index of published provider prices puts the US median at $5,750 a month and $172 an hour. Legal, security and technology roles cost the most.
The CFO is the most common fractional role, followed by the CMO, CTO and COO. Fractional HR, CISO, general counsel, CRO, CPO, CIO and chief of staff roles are growing quickly.
A fractional executive works part-time on an ongoing basis. An interim executive works full-time for a few months to fill a vacant seat or lead a turnaround.
Most work 12–15 hours a week per client, though engagements range from a few hours a month to three days a week.
Use the form on this page to tell us what's holding you back, and we'll suggest the right role and introduce you to leaders who fit your stage and budget. You can also browse mentors with C-suite experience directly.
We've already delivered 1-on-1 mentorship to thousands of students, professionals, managers and executives. Even better, they've left an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for our mentors.
Get matched
Tell us what you're working on and we'll introduce you to people who have done this job before.
