Interview fractional leaders this week for free!

Schedule a call →
Fractional CMO Salary: Average Retainers & Hourly Rates

Fractional CMO Salary: Average Retainers & Hourly Rates

Discover everything you need to know about the average fractional CMO salary range, pricing models, and how they stack up against full-time CMOs.

Share on TwitterLast Updated
February 3rd, 2025

A fractional chief marketing officer (CMO) can develop and lead your marketing strategy on a part-time basis.

This is more cost-effective, as you can access their marketing leadership for a fraction of a full-time salary. (In fact, you can save up to 60% compared to a full-time executive.)

But how much can you expect to pay?

Well, our fractional CMOs typically work on a retainer between $4,000 and $20,000 per month, depending on their level of commitment.

In this article, we'll dive into the typical fractional CMO salary range, pricing models, and how they compare to their full-time counterparts. We'll also tell you the easiest way you can hire these part-time experts.

Further Reading:

  • Discover how a Fractional CMO can drive business growth and the easiest way to hire one.
  • Want to elevate your SaaS business' market strategy? Explore when and why you should hire a SaaS Fractional CMO.

Fractional CMO Salary: A Brief Overview

  • Typical Salary Range (Monthly Retainer): $4,000 to $20,000 per month ($48,000 to $240,000 annually)
  • Average Salary: $12,000 per month or $144,000 annually
  • Typical Hourly Rate Range: $150 to $500
  • Average Hourly Rate: $325
  • Average Monthly Salary (Based on $300 per hour): $26,000 (for a 20-hour week)
  • Average Annual Salary (Based on $300 per hour): $338,000 (for a 20-hour week)

Commonly Used Pricing Models for a Fractional CMO

Fractional CMOs offer flexible pricing structures. From monthly retainers to project-based fees, here's a closer look at your options:

A. Monthly Retainer

Most fractional CMOs — including those at Go Fractional, our fractional recruiting platform — use a monthly retainer model.

Under this model, you pay a fixed fee, typically $4,000 to $20,000 per month (or $48,000 to $240,000 annually), for their strategic leadership.

This pricing model is perfect if you need consistent guidance, stability, and a reliable commitment of time and expertise from your chief marketing officer to drive long-term results.

Michael Wendland profile image
Instant Book
Michael Wendland
  1. Product Strategy
  2. Go-To-Market Strategies & Implementation
  3. Advisor
  4. #strategy
Founded a Fintech, grew it to 125,000 users and exited in 2021

B. Hourly Rate

The hourly rate model provides flexibility for businesses that require a fractional CMO's expertise for specific tasks, short-term projects, or a limited time. You only pay for the time the fractional CMO spends on your project.

The fractional CMO hourly rate ranges from $150 to $500, with weekly hours typically falling between 5 and 35. At Go Fractional, our fractional CMOs usually work 20 hours/week on average.

Tip: Use our hourly calculator to estimate your total investment.

C. Day Rates

Day rates work well for businesses needing short-term, intensive support from an outsourced CMO, typically one or two days per week. Rates range from $1,200 to $2,500 per day.

For instance, a tech startup preparing for a critical investor pitch might hire a CMO under this model for one to two days to fine-tune its marketing strategy, pitch deck, and financial projections.

D. Project-Based Fee

This model is perfect when you need a fractional marketing leader to address specific, high-impact initiatives, such as developing a go-to-market strategy for a product launch.

Fractional CMOs typically charge a flat fee, and costs vary greatly depending on the project's complexity and timeline. This approach often delivers greater value, especially when the fractional CMO brings their own experienced marketing team.

E. Value-Based Pricing

In value-based pricing, a fractional chief marketing officer charges based on the results they deliver rather than the hours worked.

For example, they might charge a fee tied to increasing revenue by 20% within six months or achieving a 3x ROI on a specific marketing campaign like a product launch. This model allows businesses to link costs directly to results, paying for measurable impact rather than the time spent.

Now let's explore how a fractional CMO's salary compares to that of a full-time hire.

Full-Time vs. Fractional CMOs: Cost, Commitment, and Flexibility

Full-time and fractional CMOs both offer extensive marketing expertise, but they differ significantly in cost, commitment, and flexibility.

Here's how they compare — and why a fractional CMO can be a smarter, more adaptable choice for many businesses:

  • Role and Responsibilities: A full-time CMO is a permanent employee responsible for overseeing all aspects of a company's marketing efforts, providing consistent leadership, and managing long-term strategies. A fractional CMO delivers the same level of expertise but on a part-time basis. They may focus on either the full range of CMO responsibilities or specific business objectives.
  • Cost: Full-time CMOs typically earn around $656,815 annually, including full benefits and bonuses. Fractional CMOs, on the other hand, typically cost $48,000 — $240,000 annually and don't need to be paid any benefits.
  • Workload and Hours: A full-time CMO dedicates around 40 hours per week to a single company. Fractional CMOs generally work part-time, around 20 hours per week, and often support multiple clients. Businesses can scale a fractional CMO's hours based on what they need.
  • Flexibility: Full-time CMOs follow a fixed schedule and are less adaptable to fluctuating needs. Fractional CMOs provide high flexibility, allowing businesses to access their expertise on an as-needed basis.
  • Best For: Full-time CMOs are ideal for larger organizations with the resources to support a permanent executive. Fractional leadership is ideal for small businesses with budget constraints, as well as mid-sized and larger organizations looking to tap into specialized expertise for high-impact projects like product launches.
  • Onboarding Process: Hiring a full-time CMO can take three months or more, delaying their impact. In contrast, the fractional CMOs at Go Fractional can be hired within days and will start delivering results immediately.
Eric Wilkinson profile image
Instant Book
Eric Wilkinson
  1. Fractional CMO
  2. Brand Strategy
  3. Strategic Vision & Leadership
  4. Startups
🥇Brand Strategy | 🎯Marketing | 📱UI/UX

But several elements can shift the scale when it comes to fractional CMO rates. 

Factors Influencing Fractional CMO Costs

Ultimately, the salary for the CMO you hire depends on a number of factors. These obviously include how many hours of their week they devote to your business, but may also consider the complexity of your needs, or your candidate's experience level.

We'll break these factors down for you below:

1. Duration of Engagement 

A fractional chief marketing officer would typically charge hourly rates for short-term projects, like a six-week product launch. These rates can be higher than the equivalent monthly or project-based rates to compensate for the lack of ongoing income.

They need to factor in the cost of finding new clients frequently and the time spent onboarding.

But, they often charge a monthly retainer for longer-term roles with broader responsibilities, such as overseeing your marketing department or leading a brand repositioning effort. These rates may be lower than hourly rates. The CMO benefits from steady income and potentially streamlined work after the initial strategy setup.

For instance, a fractional CMO committing to a quick turnaround for a marketing launch may negotiate a higher hourly rate than they would for a year-long engagement.

2. Time Commitment Per Week

If your business only needs an outsourced CMO for 5 — 10 hours a week — e.g. to refine your marketing strategy or guide specific projects without deep operational involvement — this typically comes at a lower total cost.

But if you require more hands-on involvement (15 — 20 hours per week) to manage multi-channel campaigns, lead your marketing team, or develop long-term growth strategies, you can expect a higher overall cost due to the increased commitment and responsibilities.

3. Scope of Engagement

When you hire a fractional CMO for high-level strategic leadership — e.g. developing a multi-channel marketing strategy for your business, or optimizing a significant marketing budget — they may charge higher fees.

When you hire one for specific projects — e.g.spearheading specific growth initiatives — they may have relatively lower fees due to the narrower scope of work.

4. Experience and Expertise

Obviously, experience matters. You wouldn't pay the same for:

  • A fractional marketing expert with 20 years' experience managing Fortune 500 accounts
  • A newer fractional CMO with limited leadership experience

The latter may charge $4,000 — $10,000 per month, while the former could charge $15,000 — $20,000.

CMOs with niche skills, such as deep knowledge of SaaS marketing or B2B demand generation can also charge more.

Likewise, CMOs who are recognized thought leaders, published authors, or frequent speakers at industry events usually set higher rates because of their authority and credibility.

5. Business Size and Complexity

Larger businesses with intricate marketing needs often require an experienced fractional CMO with advanced marketing expertise, which can increase costs.

For example, a company managing multi-channel campaigns across international markets will need a marketing leader skilled in overseeing diverse strategies, coordinating with regional teams, and addressing cultural nuances.

On the other hand, a small business might use a fractional CMO to tackle simpler objectives like building foundational strategies or optimizing limited marketing efforts, which may cost less. 

6. Geographical Location 

Fractional CMOs based in high-cost regions like New York often charge premium rates (around $10,177 per month) due to the higher cost of living and greater demand for their expertise.

On the other hand, a good fractional CMO operating from a lower-cost state like Texas provides the same high-level expertise at around $8,666 per month.

Hiring a virtual CMO can sometimes reduce costs by eliminating geographical price differences. But this isn't always the case, as fractional CMO rates often reflect the professional's experience and market demand.

How Do You Determine the Number of Hours You Need from Your Fractional CMO?

Follow these steps to determine the ideal time commitment:

  • Define what business objectives you want to achieve, such as launching a new product in six months. This will help establish the overall goals and deadlines that your fractional CMO will work toward.
  • Determine the scope of work required — whether it's strategic guidance, hands-on execution, or a combination of both. For instance, you might need strategic oversight for market entry planning or hands-on execution to optimize paid ad performance.
  • Break down specific tasks and responsibilities within the scope of work, along with estimated hours.
  • Assess your current team's expertise and capacity to identify where the CMO's support is essential.

For impactful results, we recommend committing to at least 10 hours per week or 40 hours per month. This gives the fractional executive time to immerse themselves in your company's culture, direction, and resources. 

Keep in mind that your needs may fluctuate. A product launch or new campaign might initially require more hours, but may require fewer hours over time. 

Flexibility is key to helping your part-time CMO deliver maximum value while you avoid overcommitting your resources. 

But how do you justify the fractional CMO cost? 

That's where performance tracking comes in.

How to Measure a Fractional CMO's ROI

Use these key KPIs to measure a CMO's performance and ROI:

  • Revenue and Financial Impact: Revenue Growth Rate (RGR), Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), Budget Utilization Rate
  • Customer Value and Retention: Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Churn Rate
  • Lead and Conversion Metrics: Cost Per Lead (CPL), Lead Conversion Rate, Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs)
  • Campaign Effectiveness: Engagement Rate, Campaign Execution Rate, Campaign ROI
  • Operational Efficiency: Team Productivity Improvement, Workflow Automation Implementation, Resource Utilization Rate

When you hire a fractional CMO to help out with your business, you want them to achieve great results in each of these metrics, but finding real talent that can deliver can be difficult.

Fortunately, you can now access a trove of fractional CMO talent that has been pre-vetted to make sure they have the necessary experience to drive your business growth.

Hire a Fractional CMO That Guarantees ROI Through Go Fractional

At Go Fractional, we make it easy to find a top-tier fractional CMO who can drive growth and create a highly comprehensive marketing strategy. Our network includes seasoned marketing leaders with a history of solving complex challenges and delivering impactful results for businesses like yours.

Why Go Fractional?

  • Thorough Screening: Our proven vetting process, with a 98% success rate, guarantees candidates who match your business needs.
  • Speed and Efficiency: Start working with your fractional CMO within days, not weeks.
  • No Surprises: Transparent pricing ranges from $4,000 — $20,000 per month, with no hidden fees.

Here's how we connect you with the right fractional CMO:

  1. Schedule a free 30-minute call with our Head of Talent to explore business goals and marketing requirements.
  2. Gain access to profiles of experienced fractional CMOs. If we don't have the perfect match in our pool, we'll find one for you at no extra cost.
  3. Interview potential CMOs to align on business goals, timelines, and budgets. Involve your leadership team to confirm the right cultural fit.
  4. Sign a clear, straightforward contract (MSA and SOW) to set expectations and begin the collaboration.
  5. We stay connected with regular check-ins and make things easy with simple monthly invoicing. 
LeighAnna Sodac profile image
Instant Book
LeighAnna Sodac
  1. Strategic Vision & Leadership
  2. Customer Lifecycle Management
  3. Go-To-Market Strategies & Implementation
  4. Branding
Fractional CMO | Marketing Strategy & Implementation | Performance & Growth | Product & Lifecycle | Go-To-Market | Brand Development | | MBA | Voracious Reader

Ready to find the perfect fractional CMO? 

Leverage our fractional CMO service today to find a proven leader who can transform your marketing.

FAQs About Fractional CMOs and the Hiring Process

1. Is a Fractional CMO Worth it?

Absolutely. You get the following benefits when you bring a good fractional CMO on board:

  • Cost Savings: Skip the $600,000+ annual average salary , including benefits and perks, of a full-time CMO by hiring a part-time one for a fraction of the cost, freeing up resources for other priorities.
  • Expertise Across Industries: Fractional CMOs bring experience from scaling startups, running multi-million-dollar ad campaigns, and working with Fortune 500 companies — giving your business a serious edge.
  • Proven Solutions: They've tackled similar challenges to yours before and bring strategies that work, saving you time and effort.
  • Flexibility: Need extra help during a product launch or want to scale down during quiet periods? A fractional CMO adjusts to your needs seamlessly.
  • Access to a Wide Network: Tap into their connections with top ad agencies, software providers, and consultants — so you always have the right resources.
  • Fresh Perspectives: They can spot inefficiencies in your campaigns or bottlenecks in your marketing processes that your marketing department might have overlooked.
  • Trend Awareness: From AI-driven tools to new social platforms, they keep your marketing strategy sharp and ahead of the competition.
  • Team Buy-In: With their leadership experience, they can align CXOs and stakeholders behind your marketing initiatives with ease.
Adrienne Uthe profile image
Adrienne Uthe
  1. Fractional CMO
  2. Public Relations
  3. Executive Communications
  4. Corporate communications
Strategic Communications Advisor, Fractional CCO & Crisis Expert

2. What Does a Fractional CMO Do?

To put it briefly, a fractional CMO handles these broad responsibilities:

  • Strategic planning
  • Branding and repositioning management
  • Market research and analysis
  • Multi-channel campaign management (traditional and digital marketing)
  • Integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning into marketing strategies
  • Marketing budget optimization and forecasting
  • Vendor and agency management
  • Marketing automation 
  • Sales enablement 
  • Product and service launch support
  • Analytics and stakeholder reporting
  • Crisis management and public relations
  • Team leadership, mentorship, and development

Read in detail about these fractional CMO responsibilities.

3. Are There Hidden Costs in Hiring a Fractional CMO?

Yes, hidden costs, like fees for tools, software, or outsourced services, can arise if you work with an agency that lacks transparency. Some agencies may also take significant commissions, increasing your overall expense.

Fortunately, Go Fractional provides transparent pricing, so you'll always know exactly what you're paying for — no surprises. 

Cut Costs, Not Quality: Fractional CMO Solutions from Go Fractional

A fractional CMO offers high-level marketing expertise without the hefty cost of a full-time executive, making it an ideal choice for scaling businesses.

At Go Fractional, you gain access to seasoned marketing professionals who offer flexible engagement options and work on predictable monthly retainers or hourly rates.

Whether you require ongoing fractional leadership or one-off support for a critical marketing project, our fractional CMO service has got you covered.

Contact Go Fractional today to get started.


Related Articles


Send me Talent

Chat with the founders of Fractional to learn what problems you could be solving tomorrow.