Fractional CAIO
What you'll pay to hire a fractional Chief AI Officer - day rate benchmarks across the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, verified bench depth, and demand, updated weekly.
Hire a Chief AI OfficerHow Much Does a Fractional CAIO Cost?
The average fractional CAIO in the UK costs $1,661 per day, based on 14 verified rates from the Fractionus bench. That works out at about $208 per hour on an eight hour day. Rates are quoted by vetted fractional CAIOs and updated every Monday. There are 7 fractional CAIO roles live on the Fractionus job board right now.
The median fractional Chief AI Officer costs $1,500/day in the UK, or $188/hour. That works out to about $390,000 a year at 40 hours a week, based on 5 verified rates.
Fractionus tracks 6 verified Chief AI Officer operators on the UK bench. This is a thin sample and the figure should be expected to move as the bench fills out. Most UK fractional engagements are priced as a day rate rather than a retainer, and London commands a premium over the rest of the country.
AI leadership is the fastest moving category we track in Australia and the least settled on price, so we are not publishing a figure yet.
There is real demand. What there is not yet is enough verified rates to produce a number that would still be right in three months, and a stale AI rate is worse than none.
Most Australian engagements at this level are still first-of-kind hires, which means the rate is negotiated rather than benchmarked.
Australian fractional engagements are usually day rate through a company or sole trader structure, so superannuation and GST sit outside the headline number.
That will change quickly, and this section will change with it.
The average fractional CAIO in the US costs $1,829 per day, based on 65 verified rates from the Fractionus bench. That works out at about $229 per hour on an eight hour day. Rates are quoted by vetted fractional CAIOs and updated every Monday. There are 7 fractional CAIO roles live on the Fractionus job board right now.
What moves this rate for a Fractional CAIO
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Questions about this role
How many days a month does a fractional CAIO work?
Most fractional CAIO engagements run between one and three days per week, which works out at roughly four to twelve days a month. Companies often start heavier during an initial build or evaluation phase and taper once systems are in production. The commitment is usually agreed in advance rather than billed ad hoc, so both sides can plan around it.
How do fractional CAIOs charge?
Day rates and monthly retainers are the two common structures. A day rate suits defined build or evaluation phases. A retainer suits ongoing AI leadership where the company wants guaranteed availability. Equity appears more often in this role than in most, usually alongside a reduced cash rate at early stage.
Where do these rate benchmarks come from?
Rates come from verified fractional operators who submit their own current day rate to Fractionus. Figures are refreshed weekly and reported separately for the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. Benchmarks are stored in US dollars and converted for display, so a rate shown in another currency moves with the exchange rate.
