The real cost of a CFO

Hiring a CFO isn’t a $200k decision.It’s a $300k+ commitment you can’t undo easily.

On top of the salary there are many additional cost:

- Healthcare, perks, and office space

- End of service and pensions

- Recruiter fees + 30+ hours interviewing

- Onboarding and months of ramp-up

- Paid holidays, sick days, personal days

- CEO bandwidth drained away from revenue work

According to Robert Half salary guide a CFO salary is (see here):

• $194,250 (25th percentile)

• $268,250 (50th percentile)

• $321,750+ (75th percentile)

And that’s just salary.

When you add hidden costs, your $200k hire can quietly balloon past $300k+ in the first year(And if they flame out, as 1 in 4 do, you eat the entire cost again.)

Or you could hire with a retainer, at a fraction of the cost.

A fractional CFO flips the script:

✅ No benefits or PTO to cover

✅ No onboarding delays

✅ Senior-level output from day one

✅ Scale up, dial back, or walk away anytime

You get C-suite horsepower on a predictable retainer, plus the freedom to scale up, down, or walk away without the drama.

For an SME or a startup, a full-time CFO isn’t just heavy, it’s risky.

There’s a smarter move on the table.