Most fractional marketing leaders don't publish prices. I do, because a CEO comparing options shouldn't need three sales calls to find out whether something fits the budget.
What I charge:
| Engagement | Price | Commitment |
|---|---|---|
| The Fear Audit | $8,000–$10,000, fixed fee | 2–3 weeks |
| Fear, Installed (fractional head of growth) | $10,000–$12,500 per month | 90-day start, then month-to-month |
The exact fee inside each range is set on the first call, based on the size of the team, the number of channels and how much data cleanup the audit needs. Every engagement starts with the audit.
What the market charges in 2026
Published ranges vary a lot, because "fractional CMO" covers everything from a few hours of advice to an embedded leader running a team. Here's what two widely cited 2026 sources report. Both are companies that sell fractional services, so read them as market signals, not neutral research.
| Source | Monthly retainer | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MarketerHire (April 2026) | $3,000–$15,000 | Hourly engagements $150–$350 per hour |
| Web Tonic (updated October 2026) | $5,000–$25,000 | Indicative bands of $10,000–$18,000 for companies at $5M–$20M, and $15,000–$25,000 at $20M+ |
Web Tonic also cites the FRAK State of Fractional Industry Report, a 2024 survey of 250 fractional professionals. In that survey, 40% charged $5,000–$8,000 a month, 29.5% charged under $5,000, 18.5% charged $8,000–$10,000, and 12% charged more than $10,000.
My pricing sits in the band these sources give for B2B companies at $5M–$40M ARR, above the median fractional retainer in the FRAK survey. That's deliberate: the engagement includes building and maintaining an AI harness your team keeps, not just advice.
What drives the price
- Scope. Advising a founder a few hours a month costs less than owning pipeline with a team of five.
- Company stage. Larger companies have more channels, more stakeholders and more data to reconcile.
- Ownership. A leader who makes and is accountable for decisions costs more than a consultant who recommends.
- What's built. Strategy alone is cheaper than strategy plus working systems, playbooks and documentation the team keeps.
- Experience. Operators who've scaled companies through exits charge more than generalists. That's worth checking, not assuming.
What you get for the money
| Fear Audit | Fear, Installed | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | Andrew, directly | Andrew, directly |
| Pipeline and funnel diagnosis | Yes | Ongoing |
| Ranked fix list with owners | Yes | Weekly backlog |
| AI workflows built in your tools | 2–3 | Built and maintained across priority disciplines |
| Positioning and messaging | Diagnosed | Built with your leadership team |
| Weekly operating rhythm | No | Monday metrics, Friday decisions log |
| What you keep | Everything | Everything, documented |
How this compares to a full-time hire
A full-time VP of Marketing or CMO brings a salary, equity, benefits, a recruiting fee and a ramp-up period before results. That's often the right call once the company is big enough to need a full-time leader. Before that point, a fractional head of growth gets you senior judgment now, and a full-time hire later inherits a working system instead of a blank page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a fractional CMO cost per month in 2026?
Published 2026 ranges run from about $3,000 to $25,000 a month depending on scope and company size, according to MarketerHire and Web Tonic. A 2024 survey of 250 fractional professionals cited by Web Tonic found the most common retainer was $5,000–$8,000 a month.
Is a fractional head of growth cheaper than a fractional CMO?
It depends on scope more than title. A growth leader focused on pipeline and conversion often costs less than a CMO who also owns brand and a large team, but a growth leader who builds systems and owns outcomes will price toward the top of the range.
Why does the Fear Audit come first?
It's how we both find out what's actually broken before you commit to a monthly engagement. You keep everything from the audit whether or not we keep working together.
Do you work hourly?
No. Fixed-fee audit, then a monthly engagement. Hourly billing rewards time spent, not problems solved.