Fractional CMO pricing
How much does it cost to hire a Fractional CMO?
Calculate whether hiring a fractional CMO fits your goals—and your budget.
Looking for senior-level marketing help without the full-time expense? A fractional Chief Marketing Officer gives you access to expert strategic leadership—at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.
Whether you need guidance a few hours a week or ongoing support to hit growth goals, I offer flexible options that align with your needs: hourly, monthly retainer, or project-based.
Fractional CMO hourly rates typically range from $200 to $500 per hour, depending on your specific needs and scope. This structure lets you scale support up or down as your business evolves.
Use the calculator below to get a personalized estimate based on the marketing support your business actually needs. Then, decide if this is the right next step for your growth strategy.
Not sure if this fits your budget? Let’s talk for 30 minutes—no pressure, just clarity.
Estimate the cost of a fractional CMO for your business
More Resources
Learn About Fractional Chief Marketing Officers
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Learn how a part-time CMO provides executive-level expertise to drive growth and optimize marketing strategies at a fraction of the cost of a full-time CMO.
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Determine if a part-time CMO is the strategic fit your business needs by exploring the key indicators that suggest it’s time to bring in fractional expertise.
5 signs you need a part-time CMO
Explore the five reasons that signal it’s time to bring in a part-time CMO to significantly improve your marketing success and drive substantial business growth.
What does a fractional CMO do?
A fractional CMO is responsible for your marketing team, improves digital success, optimizes the sales funnel, and prioritizes a customer-centric focus.
Business benefits of a fractional CMO
Discover how a fractional CMO can grow customer acquisition, protect retention, and deliver strategic results with expert guidance and candor.
Ask a fractional podcast interview
This podcast explores the realities of fractional work—managing growth, building trust, and sales collaboration—whether you’re considering or hiring a fractional.
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FAQs
More about Fractional CMO Pricing
What is the cost of a fractional CMO?
The cost of a fractional CMO depends on your business needs, growth goals, and the level of strategic marketing leadership required. You’ll get the expertise of a Chief Marketing Officer—without the full-time salary or overhead.
Typical fractional CMO pricing is structured hourly or monthly and varies by experience level and scope. Rates generally range from $200 to $500 per hour, with some seasoned CMOs charging up to $500+ for complex or high-growth engagements.
Investing in a fractional CMO gives you senior-level guidance—ideal for small businesses that need marketing leadership but aren’t ready to or can’t afford to hire full-time.
What is the average hourly rate for a fractional CMO?
The average hourly rate for a fractional CMO typically ranges from $200 to $500 per hour, depending on experience, industry, and the complexity of your marketing needs.
Rates can vary based on how the engagement is structured—whether hourly, retainer-based, by day rate or by project. For more specialized industries, rates may exceed $500 per hour.
This flexible pricing model allows small to mid-sized businesses to access executive-level marketing leadership without the long-term cost of a full-time CMO.
What’s included in a fractional CMO retainer?
A fractional CMO retainer gives your business access to a part-time executive who steps into the role of head of marketing—providing high-level strategy, leadership, and execution oversight.
Here’s what’s typically included:
- Strategic ownership of your entire marketing function, aligned with business and revenue goals
- Marketing audits to identify gaps, risks, and opportunities across your sales funnel
- A customer acquisition and retention plan, customized to your customer journey and budget
- Development and oversight of a marketing roadmap, including campaigns, channels, messaging, staff mentoring, and vendor coordination
- Ongoing performance tracking and optimization to ensure measurable ROI
This is a long-term marketing leadership engagement—not a quick fix. It’s designed for CEOs ready to invest in structured, results-driven growth without hiring a full-time CMO.
How much does it cost for a fractional CMO?
The cost to hire a fractional CMO depends on how many hours per week you need and the level of strategic involvement required. Most pricing is tied to time commitment and the scope of marketing deliverables—whether that’s building a strategy, managing campaigns, or leading a team.
For example, if you’re hiring a fractional CMO to both develop and implement a full marketing plan, you may need 10 or more hours per week, which can range from $4,000 to $10,000+ per month.
Need less support? Strategic oversight at 1–3 hours per week might cost as little as $1,000 to $3,000 per month.
Use my fractional CMO cost calculator to estimate your investment based on your goals, timeline, and internal capacity.
How much does a fractional CMO cost?
The cost of a fractional CMO depends on two key factors: the scope of work and the weekly time commitment. If you need someone focused solely on strategy and planning, the investment will typically be lower than if you’re looking for a CMO who also executes campaigns and manages day-to-day marketing activities.
- Small businesses or startups often need 1–3 hours per week, ideal for setting strategy, coordinating vendors, reviewing campaigns, and generating insights
- Growth-stage or larger companies may require 5-10+ hours per week to manage strategic oversight, team leadership, and complex project execution
- Monthly retainers can range from as little as $1,000 to more than $10,000, depending on the hours, depth of involvement, responsibilities, and experience level
Every fractional marketing engagement is unique. It’s important to compare proposals from multiple fractional marketing leaders to find the best fit—for both your business goals and your budget.
What is the cost of using a fractional CMO service?
Using a fractional CMO service is a cost-effective way to access senior marketing leadership—without the financial commitment of a full-time executive.
Unlike traditional hires, fractional CMOs work on a part-time or project basis, helping you make smarter marketing decisions, avoid costly missteps, and drive growth with a leaner budget.
Many businesses assume that marketing success requires large, upfront spending. In reality, a fractional CMO can help you prioritize high-impact activities, allocate resources more effectively, and build a strategy that delivers measurable ROI—without overspending.
Whether you’re working with a limited budget or scaling up, fractional CMO services offer flexibility, expertise, and a better return on your marketing investment.
Fractional CMO pricing typically ranges from $1,000 to $10,000+ per month depending on your needs, hours, and scope of work.
What is NOT included in a fractional CMO retainer?
While some fractional CMOs offer both strategy and hands-on execution, others focus solely on high-level leadership. It’s important to clarify what’s included based on your business needs.
Typically, a fractional CMO retainer does not include:
- Pre-built marketing strategies or templated campaigns— every marketing plan is built from scratch to fit your business
- Guaranteed short-term results like instant lead spikes or revenue growth —it’s a long-term investment in sustainable growth
- Software costs or third-party tools, like CRMs, video creation, or AI tools
- Substitutes for outside services, such as paid media, SEO tech experts, or PR support (though the CMO will manage those vendors)
Some fractional CMOs do provide both strategic planning and tactical execution. Others focus strictly on leadership and oversight. The key is finding a fractional CMO whose approach fits your goals, resources, and internal capacity.
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