Fractional CMO cost guide
What it usually costs to hire a fractional CMO in the US. Typical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list. Not an average of firms on this list. Nobody pays to be ranked.
14 fractional CMOs are on the list in the US. The ranges below are typical industry estimates. Typical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list. They are not an average of those firms.
A price next to a firm's name is one that firm published. If a firm is not in that list, it did not publish a price. This page does not invent one. On the list and on each profile, a firm with no published price shows Estimated: $8,000–$15,000/mo, typical for US fractional CMO retainers; not a quote.
| Engagement | Typical industry estimate | What that usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| A few days a month | $3,000–$8,000 a monthTypical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list. | Advice, a plan, and review of the people or agencies who do the execution. |
| One or two days a week | $8,000–$15,000 a monthTypical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list. | The marketing lead for a company that does not have one. Owns the plan, the agencies and the numbers. |
| Near full time | $15,000–$25,000 a monthTypical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list. | Most of a senior leader's month, still not a full-time hire. |
| Hourly advisory | $200–$500 an hourTypical industry estimate, not a quote from any firm on this list. | Short engagements. A poor way to buy ongoing leadership, because the hours drift. |
These bands are national typical estimates for the United States. They are not an average of the firms on this list. The only number attached to a named firm is one that firm published.
What moves the number
- Days per month. A few days of advice and two days a week are different jobs.
- Whether execution is included or only direction.
- The size of the team and the agency roster they have to manage.
- How much of the first month is diagnosis rather than output.
Compare proposals on the same written scope. A lower monthly number that excludes production, media or the person who does the work is not a lower price.
Prices firms on this list have published
Copied from the firm’s site or from Clutch. These are not estimates, and they are not quotes for your job.
- Chief Outsiders
- Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, per its About page; fees are not published.
- Josh Ramsey, Fractional CMO
- Its pricing page says digital marketing packages start at $500 a month, with fractional CMO work priced to fit.
Describe the job. One fractional CMO writes back.
Tell us what you sell, what is not working, and what done looks like. We read it and ask one provider — from this list, or from the publisher’s bench — to contact you within a business day. Asking is free. You do not have to hire them. Nobody else gets what you wrote.
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