Guide · for founders
How fractional CFO fees work
A fractional CFO fee is a monthly retainer, an hourly rate, or a project price. Use these published figures to budget before you sign.
Updated . Every dollar figure links to the public page that published it.
A fractional CFO charges a monthly retainer, an hourly rate, or a fixed project fee. The price follows the hours you buy, the work you hand over, and how fast you need it. Prinsee states a monthly retainer of $3,000 to $12,000. STANDARD Research states a median monthly retainer of $8,500. The middle half of those retainers runs from $5,500 to $14,000. To budget from an hourly rate, multiply the rate by the hours you need each week, then by 52, then divide by 12. Check what sits inside the fee before you sign.
The short answer
A fractional CFO fee is a retainer, an hourly rate, or a project price. Pick the shape that matches the job, then judge the number.
| Model | How it works | Fits when | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retainer | A set fee for set hours each month | You want finance owned every month | Unused hours do not roll forward |
| Hourly | You pay for the hours you use | The work is light or uneven | Each call is a charge |
| Project | One fee for one deliverable | The job has a clear end | Extra work costs extra |
Fractional Jobs states that half of fractional finance professionals bill on a monthly retainer. Use that as a default for an ongoing seat. Use hourly or a project when the job is a burst or a single deliverable.
What a fractional CFO costs
Published pages put a monthly retainer in the thousands, an hour in the low hundreds, and a defined project in the tens of thousands.
| What was measured | Figure | Where it is published |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | $3,000 to $12,000 a month | Prinsee |
| Median monthly retainer | $8,500 a month; middle half $5,500 to $14,000 | STANDARD Research |
| Posted hourly median for CFO roles | $225 an hour | Fractional Jobs |
| Middle half of posted finance leadership rates | $192 to $250 an hour | Fractional Jobs |
| Average hourly rate | $177 an hour; middle half $125 to $220 an hour | Go Fractional |
| 13-week cash forecast | $10,000 to $25,000 | Fractional Pulse |
| Series A or Series B raise prep | $30,000 to $75,000 | Fractional Pulse |
| Audit prep | $15,000 to $45,000 | Fractional Pulse |
Read the label on each row. A median is the middle of a set. An average is a different middle. A posted rate is what a job ad listed. Finance leadership rates are wider than CFO roles alone. Put a quote next to the row that matches the shape you were offered.
How to turn a rate into a monthly budget
Multiply the hourly rate by the hours you need each week, then by 52, then divide by 12. That month is the budget you compare with a retainer.
Fractional Jobs states that 10 hours a week at $225 an hour comes to $117,000 a year, or $9,750 a month. Put your own hours into the same steps. Fewer hours cost less. More hours cost more.
Go Fractional multiplies 14 hours a week by 4 weeks and by its $177 average. It states that month as $9,900. STANDARD Research ties its $8,500 median retainer to one day a week of ongoing leadership. Use your hours, then set the result beside the retainer in the quote.
What pushes the fee up or down
More work raises the fee. Less work lowers it. Name the work before you argue about the rate.
A raise or a sale on the calendar adds weeks of modeling and meetings. Messy books add cleanup before a forecast is useful. More than one company, or more than one currency, adds reporting. A board pack every month is a recurring deliverable. Doing the monthly close by hand is a bigger job than advice on a close someone else owns.
Prinsee states that some retainers include bookkeeping or controller work, and some assume you already have both. Ask which one the quote assumes. Cut work you do not need this quarter. Add work you cannot slip.
Retainer, hourly, or project
Use a retainer when finance needs an owner every month. Use hourly when the need is light or uneven. Use a project when the output has an end date.
A retainer buys the seat: set hours, set decisions, a set month. Ask whether unused hours roll forward. Hourly fits a question that shows up some months and not others. The meter runs, so write a monthly cap. A project fits a 13-week cash forecast, raise prep, or audit prep. Fractional Pulse prices those three jobs at the figures in the table above. Write the deliverable, the end date, and how a change is priced.
Name the finance job before you price the seat. Fractional CFO vs full-time CFO separates part-time leadership from a full-time seat. Questions to ask before hiring a fractional CFO is the list for the call.
What to put in the contract
Write five items into the contract: the work, the hours, the notice period, who keeps the files, and which expenses you pay.
The work list names the decisions and the deliverables. The hours name days or hours each month, and what happens when a month runs over. The notice period names how either side ends it. The files clause names the model, the reports, and the access you keep on exit. The expenses clause names travel, software, and specialist help.
If a line is missing, the fee is not done. Ask for the line before you sign.
Questions to ask about price
Ask these five questions before you sign. A clear fee has a clear answer to each one.
- What work is inside the fee, and what work is outside it?
- What happens to hours you do not use?
- How many days of notice end the contract?
- Is the monthly close inside the fee?
- What change in the work changes the fee?
Write the answers into the contract. A quote without those answers is a starting number, not a deal.
FAQ
How much does a fractional CFO cost per month?
Prinsee states a monthly retainer of $3,000 to $12,000. STANDARD Research states a median of $8,500 a month. The middle half of those retainers runs from $5,500 to $14,000.
What is the hourly rate for a fractional CFO?
Fractional Jobs states a median of $225 an hour in posted CFO roles. The middle half of its posted finance leadership rates is $192 to $250 an hour. Go Fractional states an average of $177 an hour, and the middle half of its rates runs from $125 to $220 an hour.
Retainer or hourly: which is better?
Use a retainer when you want finance ownership every month. Use hourly when the work is light or uneven. Fractional Jobs states that half of fractional finance professionals bill on a monthly retainer. Hourly makes each call a charge.
Can I hire a fractional CFO for a one-time project?
Yes. Buy one deliverable with an end date. Fractional Pulse states $10,000 to $25,000 for a 13-week cash forecast, $30,000 to $75,000 for Series A or Series B raise prep, and $15,000 to $45,000 for audit prep.
Why do fractional CFO quotes vary so much?
Hours, scope, and speed set the price. A raise, a sale, messy books, extra companies, extra currencies, and a monthly board pack add work. A hands-on close costs more than advice on a close someone else owns. Ask which of those sit in the quote.
What is not included in a fractional CFO fee?
Ask whether the monthly close, the bookkeeping, a raise, and expenses sit inside the fee. Prinsee states that some retainers include bookkeeping or controller work, and some assume you already have both. Get the split in writing.
Shortlist fractional CFOs
Name the hours and the work first. Then set the quote next to the figures above. Shortlist fractional CFOs.