A chief information officer for a few days a month. They set your IT strategy, manage vendors and your MSP, run big systems projects and keep the IT budget honest.
Tell us what you need and our team will introduce you to people who fit.
A fractional CIO is an experienced chief information officer who leads a company's IT strategy part-time, typically 8–40 hours a month on a retainer. They own systems strategy, vendor and MSP management, ERP and cloud projects, IT budgets and security governance, at a fraction of a full-time CIO's $175,000+ salary.
A CIO looks after the technology a company runs on: internal systems, data, infrastructure, vendors and the IT team or managed service provider. That's different from a CTO, who builds the technology a company sells.
Many mid-size companies outsource day-to-day IT to a managed service provider and assume that covers leadership. It doesn't. An MSP fixes laptops and runs the network; it doesn't decide whether to replace your ERP, push back on its own contract, or plan your IT budget for the next three years.
A fractional CIO fills that seat. They usually start with an IT assessment, then move into ongoing governance: owning the roadmap, running major projects, managing vendors and reporting to leadership. Some MSPs sell a similar service as a "vCIO". The difference is who pays the advisor, and whether they can tell you to change providers.
TL;DR
A fractional CIO costs $8,500–$13,000 a month for about 13 hours a week, based on GoFractional's average rate of $205 an hour. Lighter advisory and governance engagements start at $4,000–$6,000 a month, while embedded CIOs leading a full transformation run $10,000–$14,000. Interim CIOs covering a vacant seat full-time cost $14,000–$20,000 or more.
Typical monthly retainer
$7,000–$13,000/mo
Hourly rate in live job posts
$165–$250/hr
Monthly cost in live job posts
$8,500–$13,000/mo
| Pricing model | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory and governance (8–12 hrs/month) | $4,000–$6,000 per month | IT strategy oversight and vendor accountability |
| Operational (15–25 hrs/month) | $7,000–$10,000 per month | Roadmap execution, team oversight, major projects |
| Embedded (25–40 hrs/month) | $10,000–$14,000 per month | Leading the full IT function or a digital transformation |
| Interim CIO (40+ hrs/month) | $14,000–$20,000+ per month | Covering a vacant CIO seat between full-time hires |
| Hourly | $150–$375 per hour | Assessments, vendor negotiations, project reviews |
The US median salary for computer and information systems managers was $175,140 in 2025. Add payroll tax, benefits and recruiting and a full-time IT leader costs well over $200,000 a year, and an experienced CIO considerably more. A fractional CIO saves most companies $120,000–$270,000 a year.
Governance and vendor oversight costs far less than leading the whole IT function.
ERP replacements, cloud migrations and acquisitions push hours and rates up.
Healthcare, financial services and manufacturing bring compliance and legacy systems.
Former enterprise CIOs with transformation experience charge $275–$375 an hour.
Fractional CIO services usually start with an assessment and then become ongoing leadership.
A review of systems, vendors, contracts, security, spend and team, with a plain-language list of risks and priorities.
A two-to-three-year plan tied to business goals, with budgets and sequencing.
Contract reviews, renegotiations, service levels and, where needed, a provider change.
Selecting, implementing or replacing core systems without the usual budget overruns.
Policies, access controls, backup and recovery, and coordination with a CISO if you need deeper security work.
Which AI tools to adopt, data governance, and avoiding shadow IT.
Once the assessment is done, the work settles into a regular rhythm.
Plans spend, tracks it and cuts what isn't worth paying for.
Monthly or quarterly service reviews with your MSP and key software vendors.
Acts as the senior owner on systems projects and keeps them on scope.
Coaches internal IT staff and fills gaps with the right hires or partners.
Explains IT risks, costs and progress in business terms.
Makes sure backups, disaster recovery and access controls actually work.
These roles overlap, but they answer different questions.
| Option | Focus | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional CIO | Internal systems, vendors, IT strategy | Companies that run on technology but don't sell it | Make sure they have experience with your core systems |
| Fractional CTO | The product and the engineering team | Software and tech-enabled companies | Not a substitute for IT governance |
| MSP vCIO | Advice bundled with managed IT | Small companies on a tight budget | The advisor works for your provider, not for you |
If an outside provider already runs your IT, an independent fractional CIO is often the cheapest way to check you're getting what you pay for.
These are the situations where part-time IT leadership pays for itself fastest.
When not to hire one: Under about 30 employees with simple, cloud-based tools, a good MSP and a few hours of advice a year usually cover it.
An ERP, CRM or cloud migration that needs a senior owner on your side, not the vendor's.
Software and MSP bills grow every year and nobody can explain why.
A strong IT manager is great at support but isn't ready to set strategy.
Merging systems or opening new locations needs a plan before the work starts.
Tell us what you need and our team will introduce you to people who have done this job before, so you can talk to them before you commit.
Tell us what you needAsk about specific outcomes, not credentials. A good candidate will tell you what didn't work as readily as what did.
Which systems and industries have you led IT for?
Have you run an ERP or cloud migration like ours?
Are you independent, or tied to an MSP or reseller?
How would you assess our current vendors and contracts?
What would you report to leadership each month?
Still have questions? Email our team and we'll help you work out what you need.
A fractional CIO costs $8,500–$13,000 per month for about 13 hours a week, based on an average rate of $205 an hour. Advisory engagements start at $4,000–$6,000 a month, and interim CIOs working close to full-time cost $14,000–$20,000 or more.
Typical services include an IT assessment, an IT strategy and roadmap, vendor and MSP management, ERP and systems project leadership, security and compliance governance, and AI and data policy.
A CIO looks after the internal technology a company runs on: systems, vendors, data and IT. A CTO builds the technology a company sells. Software companies usually need a CTO first; most other businesses need a CIO.
Not quite. A vCIO is usually sold by your managed IT provider as part of their contract. A fractional CIO is independent, which means they can push back on your providers or recommend a change.
Typically when a major systems project is coming, IT costs keep rising without explanation, or an IT manager needs senior support. Most fits are companies with 50–1,000 employees.
Use the form on this page to describe your systems and goals, and we'll introduce you to IT leaders who fit. You can also browse mentors with CIO and IT director experience directly.
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