150+ Chief Technology Officer roles for startups and scale-ups. £900-£1,500 daily rates. Lead technology strategy, build engineering teams, and shape the future of innovative companies.
A Fractional CTO is an experienced Chief Technology Officer who works part-time with startups and scale-ups, providing strategic technology leadership without the full-time commitment or cost.
Work 1-3 days per week per client. Provide strategic tech guidance without full-time overhead.
Typically work with 2-4 companies simultaneously. Diverse challenges, higher total compensation.
Focus on high-leverage work: architecture, hiring, strategy. Less day-to-day management.
Most sought-after technical skills for fractional CTO roles in 2025
Very High demand
47 roles require this
Very High demand
52 roles require this
High demand
38 roles require this
High demand
42 roles require this
Very High demand
34 roles require this
Very High demand
45 roles require this
High-growth sectors hiring fractional CTOs
+28% YoY
48 active roles
Avg: £1,200/day
+24% YoY
42 active roles
Avg: £1,350/day
+45% YoY
28 active roles
Avg: £1,250/day
+32% YoY
22 active roles
Avg: £1,150/day
+18% YoY
18 active roles
Avg: £1,100/day
+38% YoY
15 active roles
Avg: £1,300/day
Architecture, MVP, hiring first engineers
Scaling, team building, process
Org structure, platform scaling, strategy
Transformation, modernization, leadership
Define technology roadmap, architecture decisions, build vs buy
Hire and manage engineers, create culture, establish processes
Design scalable systems, technical debt management, performance
Implement security best practices, GDPR, ISO27001, SOC2
Manage technology partners, negotiate contracts, evaluate tools
Collaborate with product, translate vision into technical execution
52 CTO roles
£1,100-£1,500/day
Mostly hybrid
18 CTO roles
£900-£1,200/day
Hybrid/Remote
14 CTO roles
£1,000-£1,300/day
Hybrid
12 CTO roles
£950-£1,250/day
Hybrid/Remote
11 CTO roles
£900-£1,200/day
Hybrid/Remote
72 CTO roles
£850-£1,200/day
Fully remote
Real insights into the fractional CTO market in 2025
The fractional CTO market has exploded, growing 45% year-over-year. According to recent data, there are now 1,100+ fractional Chief Technology Officer positions available across the US and UK, with UK roles representing approximately 150-200 of these opportunities.
Companies report 40-60% cost savings by hiring fractional CTOs versus full-time executives. A full-time CTO in London costs £180,000-£300,000 in salary plus equity, benefits, and overhead. A fractional CTO at £1,200/day for 2 days/week costs £125,000 annually - significant savings while getting senior expertise.
The shift to remote work has supercharged the fractional CTO market. UK-based fractional CTOs can now serve US companies remotely, dramatically expanding opportunities. SaaS, FinTech, and AI companies lead demand, with 80% of fractional CTO roles coming from these three sectors.
"As a Fractional CTO, I work with a Series A SaaS company, a FinTech startup, and an AI healthcare platform. I earn more than my previous full-time CTO role while having flexibility to choose the problems I solve. Each client gets 2-3 days per week of focused strategic tech leadership."
Alex Thompson
Fractional CTO • 18 years in tech
Previously: VP Engineering at Series C startup
Stack: AWS, Kubernetes, React, Python
"Transitioning to fractional CTO work was the best career decision. I guide technical strategy for two scale-ups without the burnout of a full-time CTO role. London FinTech companies pay £1,300-£1,400/day, and I typically work 6-8 days per month per client."
Sarah Chen
Fractional CTO • 15 years
Previously: CTO at acquired startup
Stack: GCP, Go, TypeScript, PostgreSQL
"I built my fractional CTO practice over 18 months. Now I work with 4 companies across SaaS, HealthTech, and PropTech. The variety keeps me intellectually engaged, and the economics are compelling - I'm earning 40% more than my last full-time role."
James Williams
Fractional CTO • 20 years
Previously: Engineering Director at FTSE100
Stack: Azure, .NET, Node.js, ML/AI
Everything you need to know about fractional CTO careers
A fractional CTO job is a part-time Chief Technology Officer role where you provide strategic technology leadership to a company for 1-4 days per week. Instead of one full-time position, fractional CTOs typically work with 2-4 companies simultaneously, providing each with experienced tech leadership at a fraction of full-time cost.
UK fractional CTOs typically earn £900-£1,500 per day depending on location, industry, and experience. London FinTech roles command £1,200-£1,500/day. Working with 2-3 clients at 2-3 days per week each, fractional CTOs earn £180,000-£300,000+ annually - often more than full-time CTO salaries.
Most fractional CTO roles require 12-20 years of technology experience with at least 5-7 years in senior leadership (VP Engineering, CTO, Engineering Director). You need proven track record of building engineering teams, architecting scalable systems, and aligning technology with business strategy. Technical depth plus leadership experience is essential.
Fractional CTOs handle technical strategy, architecture decisions, team building/hiring, security and compliance, vendor management, and product-technology alignment. You're responsible for technology roadmap, scaling systems, managing technical debt, establishing engineering processes, and serving as technical advisor to the board/CEO.
Most fractional CTOs work with 2-4 companies simultaneously. Each client typically requires 1-3 days per week. Start with 1-2 clients to build your practice, then scale to 3-4 as you establish processes. Working with 4+ clients often leads to quality issues unless clients are very small or mature.
Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) are essential for 85%+ of fractional CTO roles. Kubernetes/Docker containerization, microservices architecture, security/DevSecOps, and AI/ML infrastructure are highly valued. SaaS companies need React/Node.js experience, while FinTech roles require strong security and compliance knowledge.
About 50% of fractional CTO jobs are fully remote, 40% are hybrid (1-2 days per week on-site), and 10% require regular office presence. London roles typically expect 1-2 days per week in office. Remote roles often require occasional quarterly visits for key meetings/offsites.
SaaS/Cloud companies (48 roles), FinTech (42 roles), AI/ML startups (28 roles), and HealthTech (22 roles) are the top hirers of fractional CTOs. E-commerce, CyberSecurity, and PropTech also have strong demand. Early-stage startups (Seed through Series B) represent 70% of fractional CTO opportunities.
Fractional CTOs work part-time (1-3 days/week) with multiple clients simultaneously and engagements last 12-36+ months. Interim CTOs are full-time temporary replacements during hiring, maternity cover, or transitions, typically lasting 3-9 months. Fractional offers more flexibility and higher total earnings through multiple clients.
Use specialized fractional job boards (Fractional Quest, FractionalJobs.io), work with tech recruitment agencies (Marks Sattin, Bain & Gray, Cast UK), network in CTO communities (CTO Academy, The CTO Club), and leverage LinkedIn. Many fractional CTO roles come through personal networks and referrals from previous clients.
Fractional CTO engagements typically last 12-36 months, much longer than other fractional roles. Many evolve into ongoing advisory relationships or transition to full-time as companies scale. The part-time nature and strategic value creates longer, stickier relationships compared to other fractional executive roles.
Yes, coding ability is important but you won't write production code daily. You need technical credibility to review architecture, evaluate technical decisions, debug critical issues, and interview senior engineers. Strong understanding of modern tech stacks, cloud platforms, and system design is more important than hands-on coding.
Context switching between companies/tech stacks, managing multiple client relationships, irregular income during client acquisition, and limiting your impact vs full-time roles. You need strong time management, ability to identify highest-leverage work, and comfort with ambiguity. Not being present for day-to-day decisions can be challenging.
Fractional CTOs establish security frameworks (ISO27001, SOC2), implement DevSecOps practices, ensure GDPR/data protection compliance, and manage security audits. You don't handle day-to-day security operations but set strategy, select tools, hire security talent, and guide compliance processes. Security is a key value-add for fractional CTOs.
Generally no. Fractional CTO roles require proven experience and track record. Companies hire fractional CTOs specifically for senior expertise they can't afford full-time. You need 10-15+ years experience, multiple companies on your resume, and demonstrated ability to scale teams and systems. Build your experience full-time first.
Fractional CTOs focus on technical strategy, architecture, board/investor relationships, and technology-business alignment. VP Engineering roles are more hands-on with engineering management, team performance, and delivery execution. Some fractional roles combine both, but CTO is typically more strategic and externally-focused.
Most charge daily rates (£900-£1,500/day) with monthly retainers based on committed days. Some use monthly packages (e.g., £8,000/month for 2 days/week). Avoid hourly billing - it creates wrong incentives. Price based on value delivered and your experience, not time. London/FinTech roles command 20-30% premiums over other regions.
Some do, typically 0.25-1% for significant engagements with early-stage startups. Equity is usually in addition to day rate fees (not instead of). Evaluate equity carefully - it's rarely worth reducing your rate for equity in seed-stage companies. Series A+ equity can be valuable if the company has clear path to exit.
Very strong. Fractional CTO demand grew 45% year-over-year and is expected to continue. More startups recognize the value of part-time senior tech leadership. The shift to remote work expanded the addressable market. As technology becomes more complex, the fractional CTO model will become increasingly common for early-stage companies.
Focus on architectural principles and patterns that transcend specific technologies. Strong fractional CTOs understand cloud fundamentals, system design, scalability patterns, and security regardless of stack. You don't need to be expert in every framework - your value is strategic thinking, pattern recognition, and knowing when to bring in specialists.
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