Published day rates for every UK fractional C-suite role.
Transparent rate bands across CEO, CFO, CMO, CTO, COO, CPO, CHRO, CISO and specialist roles. No quote-on-enquiry. Use the calculator to model your spend or click through to per-role cost pages for the deeper breakdown.
Day rate bands by role.
Bands reflect the spread across stage (SME → scale-up → PE) and sector context (regulated / non-regulated). Median is the central tendency, not the negotiating anchor — most engagements sit within ±20% of the median.
| Role | Day rate band | Median | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO | £1,000–£2,000 | £1,500 | Founder-stage to scale-up; PE premium | Read → |
| CFO | £600–£2,200 | £1,500 | Pre-exit and FCA work commands the top band | Read → |
| CMO | £900–£1,400 | £1,150 | Brand vs demand splits at the same band | Read → |
| CTO | £800–£2,000 | £1,400 | Platform rebuilds and regulated stacks at top | Read → |
| COO | £900–£1,500 | £1,300 | PE / 100-day plans premium | Read → |
| CPO | £900–£1,500 | £1,200 | Product-led growth, marketplace, B2B SaaS | Read → |
| CHRO | £800–£1,400 | £1,100 | Scale-up org design, comp re-band | Read → |
| CISO | £900–£2,500 | £1,400 | FCA / FTSE / critical-infra at top band | Read → |
| CIO | £900–£1,800 | £1,300 | Interim CIO premium for transformation | Read → |
| General Counsel | £900–£1,400 | £1,100 | Tech-sector premium | Read → |
| Head of Sales | £900–£1,400 | £1,150 | B2B SaaS, channel build | Read → |
| Chief of Staff | £600–£1,200 | £900 | CEO-adjacent, lower-tier band | Read → |
What these rates include.
The all-in framing versus permanent loaded cost.
Day rates are all-inclusive.No employer NI (15% from April 2025), no pension (3–12%), no recruitment fees (20–30% on first-year base for permanent), no notice period costs. The vetting fee (12% of engagement value) is the only platform charge and it's disclosed in every brief.
Typical engagement is 2 days/week.Two days × 46 weeks × £1,300/day = ~£120k annually for a fractional CXO. Equivalent permanent role at £200k base loads to £275–£350k year-1 with NI + pension + recruitment. That's the 40–60% savings band the cost pages cite.
Outside IR35 by default. Right of substitution, no mutuality of obligation, contractor-controlled working, CEST-tested. See the IR35 guide for the contract patterns.
Per-role cost pages.
Each cost page has stage-by-stage breakdown, retainer ranges, and FAQ.
Fractional CFO cost
£600–£2,200/day. Stage-by-stage rates from SME to pre-exit.
Read →/fractional-coo-costFractional COO cost
£900–£1,500/day. Operating model, scale-out, PE 100-day plans.
Read →/fractional-ciso-costFractional CISO cost
£900–£2,500/day. FCA / FTSE / certification programmes.
Read →/fractional-cmo-costFractional CMO cost
£900–£1,400/day. Brand and demand leadership at 1–3 days/week.
Read →/fractional-cto-costFractional CTO cost
£800–£2,000/day. Architecture, platform, regulated stacks.
Read →/rate-calculatorRate calculator
Model day rate × days/week × weeks for any role. Year-1 cost output.
Open →Bring the brief. We'll attach the rate.
Every shortlist arrives with rate percentile, IR35 structure and fit analysis — so you know what you're paying for, candidate by candidate.
Submit a brief →