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How Much Does a Fractional CFO Cost Compared to a Full-Time CFO?

When exploring full-time vs. fractional CFO services, the decision is typically more about utilization than cost. Most businesses don’t actually need a full-time CFO until they reach ~$25M in revenue. That said, cost matters. Below, we share basic CFO cost information and a calculator to help you decide what’s right for your situation.

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Fractional CFO vs Full Time CFO Cost Comparison

Let's start with some ballpark figures.

Cost of a Fractional CFO:

  • Average hourly rates: $250-$500
  • Monthly Cost (at $350/hr): $6,000 – $12,000
  • Yearly Cost ($72,000 – $144,000)

Cost of a Full-Time CFO:

  • Average annual base salary: $225,000-$275,000
  • Fully-burdened yearly cost: $300,000 – $400,000 (includes bonuses, benefits, taxes, and overhead, but not equity)

A fractional or part-time CFO can deliver savings of 70% or more compared to a full-time executive. Therefore, if full-time help is more than you need, fractional alternatives are definitely worth exploring.

Fractional CFO hourly rates and full-time CFO salaries vary based on location and industry. Please reach out for a customized estimate.

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What Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Services Do You Need?

Next, define the scope of work.

All fractional and full-time CFOs will assess your company’s financial health and provide high-level financial advice. But most organizations need a variety of financial services. For example, perhaps you want a CFO who can help with the following:

1

Short & long-term financial strategies.

2

Cash flow issues

3

Financial modeling.

4

Financial reporting improvements.

5

Building & leading your finance team.

6

Establishing & refining financial systems.

Or, maybe you need someone who specializes in a specific area of financial management, such as capital raising or mergers and acquisitions.

Consider your circumstances, document your requirements, and estimate the time you need from a CFO each month before moving on. We’re happy to talk you through this exercise, or if you think you’ve got it, take the next step by using the calculator below to do the math yourself.

Full-Time vs Fractional CFO Cost Calculator

Use our CFO calculator to see what is more cost-effective for you: hiring a fractional CFO or bringing someone on full-time. This tool provides average fractional CFO rates and a suggested base CFO salary to get you started. Customize the figures to your situation to get an estimate of what you can expect to pay.

Next Steps:

If fractional CFO work is the right solution for your business, fill out this form to request an estimate, or explore our fractional CFO services to learn more.

If you are ready to hire a full-time CFO, check out our finance executive search services.

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