About the figures
Compensation figures in this guide are editorial planning estimates in USD, not results from a representative salary survey. Actual quotes vary with scope, hours, geography and experience. Compare the stage and hours assumptions before setting a budget.
What to budget by role
Fractional executive pricing varies by role and your company stage. Here are 2026 monthly retainer ranges across the C-suite.
| Role | Monthly retainer |
|---|---|
| Fractional COO | $2,000-$15,000 |
| Fractional CFO | $2,000-$15,000 |
| Fractional CMO | $3,000-$18,000 |
| Fractional CTO | $3,000-$18,000 |
| Fractional CRO | $3,000-$18,000 |
| Fractional CHRO | $5,000-$12,000 |
| Fractional Chief of Staff | $2,000-$10,000 |
| Head of Operations | $3,000-$8,000 |
| Fractional CAIO | $5,000-$30,000 |
Editorial planning estimates in USD, not a compensation survey. Actual quotes depend on scope, availability and experience.
What drives your number within the range
- Stage. A seed startup buys fewer hours and a tighter scope than a Series B company.
- Hours. The retainer scales with the weekly commitment — 5-10 hours sits at the bottom, 15-20 near the top.
- Scope. Owning a team and a budget costs more than advising on strategy.
- Experience. Operators with directly relevant scale-up experience charge the top of each band.
How to think about the cost
Compare it to the full-time alternative, not to zero. A full-time C-suite executive costs $250,000-$450,000 in base plus equity and benefits. A fractional executive at $8,000/month is roughly $96,000 a year with no equity grant — the right altitude of leadership at a stage where you don't have a full week of executive work. For most companies under ~$15M revenue, that's not a compromise; it's the correct hire.
Budgeting tip
Budget for the retainer plus occasional project fees (a fundraise, a systems build, a hiring sprint). And scope the engagement around outcomes and a clear hour band so the cost is predictable — a good fractional executive will help you define that scope before you commit.