Fractional Head of Design
What you'll pay to hire a fractional Head of Design - day rate benchmarks across the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, verified bench depth, and demand, updated weekly.
Hire a Head of DesignHow Much Does a Fractional Head of Design Cost?
The median fractional Head of Design in the UK charges $800 per day, based on 5 verified rates from the Fractionus bench. That works out at about $100 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 Heads of Design and updated every Monday. There are 2 fractional Head of Design roles live on the Fractionus job board right now.
There is no published day rate for a fractional Head of Design in the UK yet, because we do not have enough verified rates to stand one up.
Design leadership is one of the shallower fractional categories we track in this market, and the rates we have collected so far vary too much to average.
Where a rate does get set, it usually turns on whether the brief is craft leadership or team building. Those are different engagements and they do not price alike.
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.
Once enough UK design rates are verified, this section becomes a number.
No Australian figure for fractional design leadership yet.
The senior design community here is concentrated in Melbourne and Sydney and most of it sits in house or in agencies. Fractional design leadership exists but it is a small market, and a handful of rates would not describe it fairly.
Rates we have seen vary more by the company stage than by the designer, which is unusual and suggests the market has not settled.
Australian fractional engagements are usually day rate through a company or sole trader structure, so superannuation and GST sit outside the headline number.
We are still collecting.
The average fractional Head of Design in the US costs $1,180 per day, based on 32 verified rates from the Fractionus bench. That works out at about $147 per hour on an eight hour day. Rates are quoted by vetted fractional Heads of Design and updated every Monday. There are 2 fractional Head of Design 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 Head of Design work?
Most fractional Head of Design 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 a rebrand or a design system build and taper once the team can carry the standard. The commitment is usually agreed in advance rather than billed ad hoc, so both sides can plan around it.
How do fractional Heads of Design charge?
Day rates and monthly retainers are the two common structures. A day rate suits defined projects such as a rebrand or a product redesign. A retainer suits ongoing design leadership 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.
