In the US, published fractional CFO plans start at about $1,600 a month. A senior fractional CFO who works about 14 hours a week costs $7,000 to $11,200 a month on current market data. Hourly rates mostly sit between $125 and $230. All prices are in US dollars, as of October 2026.
The numbers
There is no single price list for this work. The best figures come from firms that publish their plans, and from platforms that track real job posts and rates.
Firms that publish their prices
- Burkland lists three fractional CFO plans: Starter from $1,600 a month, Core from $2,500 and Advanced from $4,200. It says price depends on scope.
- Pilot lists CFO plans billed yearly: Basic from $1,750 a month with a monthly call, Essentials from $3,150 with a call every two weeks, and Custom from $5,250 with weekly calls.
Both are startup-focused firms. Their plans are a model, reports and a set number of calls, more than a person who sits in your leadership meetings. Burkland's price page estimates a typical engagement at about $19,000 to $50,000 a year. Pilot's price page also says it does not provide corporate officers, so its CFO will not hold the title in your company.
Market rates for a senior part-time CFO
- Go Fractional, a hiring platform, puts the average at $176 an hour, with the middle half between $125 and $200. At its typical 14 hours a week, that is $7,000 to $11,200 a month. It uses 43 job posts and 401 candidate profiles from the last 90 days.
- The Fractional Work Report 2026 by Fractional Jobs puts finance executives at $229 an hour on average, from a survey of VP-level and above.
- Upwork's own cost guide says fractional CFOs on its site charge $114 to $333 an hour in the US, depending on experience.
Sources: Go Fractional CFO rates, The Fractional Work Report 2026, Upwork's fractional CFO cost guide. Go Fractional also shows a gap: employers post an average of $137 an hour, while candidates ask for $178. Budget near the asking rate if you want a strong shortlist.
In the UK
FD Capital, a UK firm that places CFOs, says on its price guide that UK day rates run £600 to £1,200, with most between £700 and £900. Most engagements there are one to three days a week. These are the firm's own figures.
Where prices are not published
Most independent CFOs and small finance firms do not publish prices. They quote after a call, because the work changes a lot from one company to the next. Four things move the quote most:
- Hours or days a month. Two quotes for the same monthly fee can buy very different time.
- The state of your books. Messy books mean cleanup first, often billed as a separate project.
- The job. A fundraise, a bank loan or a sale of the company needs more hours than monthly reporting.
- Experience. A CFO who has sold three companies charges more than one who has run finance for a single firm.
To get real quotes, write a one-page brief and send it to three people or firms. The template below gives you a start.
Compared with a full-time CFO
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median salary for financial managers at $166,570 in May 2025. That group includes controllers and finance officers, so CFOs at larger companies earn more. Burkland's page cites Salary.com for a US CFO median above $400,000.
Salary is only part of the cost. In private industry, wages make up 70% of what an employer pays, and benefits the other 30%, according to the BLS employer cost survey for June 2026. A rough loaded cost for a $166,570 salary is about $238,000 a year.
Now compare, using the figures above:
- A packaged plan at $1,600 to $5,250 a month costs about $19,000 to $63,000 a year.
- A senior fractional CFO at Go Fractional's average of $9,800 a month costs about $117,600 a year.
- A full-time finance leader at the BLS median costs about $238,000 a year with benefits.
The fractional CFO is cheaper because you buy a third of a week. If you need someone every day, the gap shrinks fast.
How to compare quotes
- Ask how many hours or days a month the fee buys.
- Ask what you get each month: a model, a cash forecast, a board pack, a meeting.
- Ask who does the work. Some firms sell a senior name and staff the job with juniors.
- Ask for any setup or cleanup fee in writing.
- Ask what happens if you need more hours in a busy month, and at what rate.
- Ask about the notice period to end the contract.
About us: [what you sell], [annual revenue], [team size], [accounting software].
State of the books: [closed monthly by a bookkeeper / behind by X months / done once a year].
Why now: [raise money / bank loan / cash is tight / pricing / thinking of selling].
What I want in the first 90 days: [a 13-week cash forecast, a budget, a pricing review].
Time I expect: about [X] hours a month.
Please send: your monthly fee, hours included, any setup fee, who does the work and your notice period.
Red flags
- A price with no hours or deliverables attached.
- A long minimum term before you have seen any work.
- A pitch to sell you their own software, loans or investments.
- No questions about your books before they quote.
This is general information. Fees, tax and contract rules differ by country and state, so check the agreement with your accountant or a lawyer.
Before you hire
A CFO works on top of clean books. If yours are not closed every month, start with bookkeeping basics. If cash is the worry, read how to improve cash flow and build a small business budget first. And if you are unsure what to take home, see how to pay yourself.