Fractional CISO Salary & Virtual CISO (vCISO) Cost — UK 2026
CISO salary and virtual CISO (vCISO) cost benchmarks for the UK. A full-time CISO salary runs £140,000–£220,000 base (Cypro), with a London median of £184,000 (Robert Half) and an advertised UK median of £137,650 (ITJobsWatch).
A virtual CISO (vCISO) — a part-time or fractional security executive — costs £3,000–£15,000 a month (£1,200–£2,500/day), roughly 40–70% less than a full-time hire. Sourced from Cypro, Robert Half, ITJobsWatch, Optima Europe and Barclay Simpson; reviewed 7 July 2026.
What a CISO earns — and what a vCISO costs — in the UK in 2026
A full-time UK CISO earns £140,000–£220,000 base (Cypro), rising to £180,000+ for Global/EMEA mandates (Barclay Simpson).
Robert Half puts the London median at £184,000 (£131,000–£220,000), and ITJobsWatch the advertised UK median at £137,650.
Regulated sectors — financial services, healthcare, defence — pay a premium.
A virtual CISO (vCISO) is a part-time or fractional Chief Information Security Officer engaged on a retainer for board reporting, compliance readiness (ISO 27001, SOC 2, DORA, NIS2) and incident-response leadership — without a daily senior security presence.
UK vCISO retainers run £3,000–£15,000/month at £1,200–£2,500/day (Cypro, Optima Europe).
vCISO vs full-time: a full-time CISO is £180,000–£270,000 fully loaded (base + employer NI at 15%, pension, bonus, recruitment).
A vCISO at 5–10 days a month is £40,000–£120,000 a year — a 40–70% saving for organisations that need senior security governance but not a full-time hire.
How virtual & fractional CISO pricing works
Retainer by hours committed
Smaller SMBs engaging a vCISO for 4–6 days a month sit at £3,000–£6,000/mo; regulated mid-market organisations needing 10–15 days a month pay £10,000–£15,000/mo (Cypro).
A 2–3-day weekly fractional retainer runs £8,000–£18,000/mo (Optima Europe).
What moves the price
Five factors: hours committed; seniority and credentials (CISSP, CISM, ex-FTSE CISO); industry (FS, healthcare, defence cost more); regulatory scope (ISO 27001, SOC 2, DORA, FCA); and on-demand vs scheduled availability.
Rates above £2,000/day usually reflect specialist domains or M&A due diligence.
vCISO vs fractional vs interim
Virtual CISO = fully remote fractional delivery; fractional CISO = part-time embedded (often some on-site); interim CISO = full-time temporary cover for a transition or incident.
All price on retainer/day rate, not salary.
NIS2 and DORA are pushing board-level security ownership down into the SME and scale-up segment — where a vCISO delivers accountable leadership before a full-time CISO is justified.
Virtual / Fractional CISO rate comparison
Day rates, monthly retainers, and full-time comparison with current market data
Virtual / Fractional CISO rate comparison
ASSUMPTIONS: 220 BILLABLE DAYS · 1.42× LOADED FOR FT
CISO Salary UK full-time benchmarks
Full-time UK Chief Information Security Officer base salary, with the vCISO-equivalent monthly retainer alongside. Robert Half London median £184,000; ITJobsWatch UK median £137,650; Cypro £140k–£220k base — FACTS 191–193.
CISO Salary UK full-time benchmarks
| Benchmark | UK base salary⬍ | London | vCISO equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK median (ITJobsWatch) | £137,650 | £184,000 | £8,000–£12,000/mo |
| Base range (Cypro) | £140,000–£220,000 | £131k–£220k | £8,000–£15,000/mo |
| Global / EMEA (Barclay Simpson) | £180,000+ | £180,000+ | £12,000–£18,000/mo |
| Fully loaded (Cypro) | £180,000–£270,000 | £200k+ | £40k–£120k/yr |
Virtual CISO (vCISO) cost by commitment
What a virtual or fractional CISO costs by days committed — retainer and day rate. UK vCISO £3,000–£15,000/mo at £1,200–£2,500/day; 2–3-day fractional retainers £8,000–£18,000/mo (Cypro, Optima Europe — FACTS 191, 193).
Virtual CISO (vCISO) cost by commitment
| Engagement | Monthly retainer⬍ | Day rate | Annual (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| vCISO · SMB (4–6 days/mo) | £3,000–£6,000/mo | £1,200–£1,800 | £40k–£72k |
| vCISO · 2 days/wk | £8,000–£12,000/mo | £1,200–£2,000 | £96k–£144k |
| Fractional CISO · regulated (2–3 d/wk) | £10,000–£18,000/mo | £1,500–£2,500 | £120k–£216k |
| Interim CISO · full-time cover | £20,000–£40,000/mo | £1,000–£1,500 | 3–9 mo term |
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about fractional CISO Salary roles and engagements
Current fractional / virtual CISO opportunities
Current openings and market opportunities
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