Fractional Executive Rate Calculator
Estimate fractional CFO, CMO, CTO, COO, CRO, CHRO, CPO, and VP rates by company stage, engagement type, and hours per month. Direct-hire and marketplace pricing both modeled.
How the Estimate Works
Base rates are pulled from per-role retainer ranges documented in our stage and engagement guides. The calculator scales those rates by:
- Engagement scope: advisor scope discounts about 45 percent vs retainer baseline. Project pricing adds 35 percent for scope drift risk. Interim is roughly 1.5x the retainer rate at near-full-time hours.
- Work mode: remote is the baseline. Hybrid adds 5 percent. On-site adds 10 percent because operators with willingness to be on-site are scarcer.
- Hours per month: the rate scales linearly with hours within the typical range for that stage and role. Below the range, the rate rises faster per hour. Above the range, it compresses.
- Hiring channel: marketplaces (Bolster, Catalant, MarketerHire, Toptal, etc.) typically add 25-40 percent on top of direct-hire rates. The calculator uses 32 percent as the midpoint.
What This Calculator Doesn't Capture
Three factors move rates beyond what the calculator models. Industry specialization (healthcare, fintech, crypto, regulated sectors) often commands a 20-40 percent premium. Prior named-company experience (operators who scaled engineering at known companies) commands a similar premium. Equity-only or hybrid cash-plus-equity engagements are not modeled here because the structure is too case-specific for a calculator.
Where the Numbers Come From
Each role's rate table draws from documented ranges in our role and stage guides. For deeper context on a specific role:
- Fractional CFO cost breakdown and fractional CFO retainer
- Fractional CMO cost and fractional CMO retainer
- Fractional CTO cost and fractional CTO retainer
- Fractional COO cost and fractional COO retainer
- Fractional CRO salary and hiring and fractional CRO retainer
- Fractional CHRO retainer and fractional CHRO for startups
Stage-Specific Guides
For role-by-stage scope, hiring signals, and 90-day milestones, see our company-stage guides:
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