Fractional CFO
What you'll pay to hire a fractional CFO - day rate benchmarks across the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, verified bench depth, and demand, updated weekly.
Hire a Chief Financial OfficerHow Much Does a Fractional CFO Cost?
The median fractional CFO in the UK charges $1,750 per day, based on 5 verified rates from the Fractionus bench. That works out at about $219 per hour on an eight hour day. With fewer than 10 verified rates in this market we lead with the median, because one unusual rate would move an average too far. Rates are quoted by vetted fractional CFOs and updated every Monday. There are 235 fractional CFO roles live on the Fractionus job board right now.
There is no shortage of fractional CFOs in the UK. We simply have not verified enough of their rates to publish a number.
Finance is the deepest fractional category in this market and has been for years, so a thin sample here reflects our own collection rather than anything about supply.
Scope is the thing to check before comparing this market to any other. What sits inside a fractional CFO brief varies by company, and two identical day rates can buy quite different work.
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.
This is the market we expect to publish first.
The median fractional CFO in Australia charges $1,200 per day, based on 9 verified rates from the Fractionus bench. That works out at about $150 per hour on an eight hour day. With fewer than 10 verified rates in this market we lead with the median, because one unusual rate would move an average too far. Rates are quoted by vetted fractional CFOs and updated every Monday. There are 235 fractional CFO roles live on the Fractionus job board right now.
Finance is the most established fractional category in Australia, so a thin sample here is about our collection rather than supply.
Australian fractional CFO work also tends to include obligations a US equivalent would not touch. BAS lodgement, ATO correspondence and superannuation compliance are routinely inside the brief.
That extra scope pushes the effective rate up for the same nominal seniority, which is worth knowing before comparing this market to the US one.
Australian fractional engagements are usually day rate through a company or sole trader structure, so superannuation and GST sit outside the headline number.
We expect this to be the first Australian market we publish.
The average fractional CFO in the US costs $1,494 per day, based on 44 verified rates from the Fractionus bench. That works out at about $187 per hour on an eight hour day. Rates are quoted by vetted fractional CFOs and updated every Monday. There are 235 fractional CFO roles live on the Fractionus job board right now.
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Questions about this role
How many days a month does a fractional CFO work?
Most fractional CFO engagements run between one and three days per week, which works out at roughly four to twelve days a month. Companies often start at the lighter end and scale up around a raise, an audit or a board cycle. The commitment is usually agreed in advance rather than billed ad hoc, so both sides can plan around it.
How do fractional CFOs charge?
Day rates and monthly retainers are the two common structures. A day rate suits variable workloads and short engagements. A retainer suits ongoing oversight where the company wants guaranteed availability. Equity is occasionally part of the package at early stage, usually alongside a reduced cash rate rather than instead of one.
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.
