What Does a Fractional Head of Marketing Cost in the UK?

One published UK guide, from fractional provider Practicus, puts fractional marketing leadership at roughly £700 to £1,400 a day, or £3,000 to £10,000 a month depending on the days committed. My own service starts from £2,500 a month. A permanent head of marketing costs a salary plus employer National Insurance, pension and recruitment. At about one day a week fractional usually costs noticeably less. At two days a week it comes out close to a permanent hire. The real difference is what you get for the money.

This page starts with published market figures so you can test the arithmetic, then says where my own offer sits. My Fractional Demand Generation Lead service starts from £2,500 a month with a three-month minimum term. The detail is on the work with me page.

What you get for the money

What you get from a fractional head of marketing

• Senior judgement without a full-time salary. Someone who has done the job before decides your positioning, priorities and plan, and you pay for the days you need.
• A fast start. No recruitment process, no search fee, no waiting for someone to work out their notice. Work can begin without waiting for a hiring process.
• A plan your team can run. The output is a clear strategy, priorities and measures that your people or suppliers can carry out, and that stay with you afterwards.
• Marketing and sales on the same page. An agreed definition of a qualified lead, who owns it, and how handover works.
• Fewer wasted pounds. Someone senior sets the brief and holds agencies and freelancers to it, so spend follows strategy rather than the other way round.
• Flexibility. The arrangement is agreed up front, with no employment obligations, and the scope can be reviewed as the business changes.
• An outside view. Fresh eyes on what is and isn't working, without internal politics.

What fractional leadership typically costs

According to Practicus's UK guide to fractional CMOs:

• Day rates run from about £700 to £1,400 for an experienced professional.
• Monthly retainers range from about £3,000 to £10,000, depending on days committed.
• Typical commitment is one to three days a week.
• At two days a week the annual cost is roughly £75,000 to £130,000.

Practicus is itself a fractional provider, so treat these as an indicator from the sector rather than an independent survey, and get quotes.

These ranges overlap rather than match exactly. £75,000 to £130,000 a year at two days a week works out at roughly £6,250 to £10,800 a month, which is above the top of the £3,000 to £10,000 monthly range, so the monthly range probably assumes fewer days. Treat the figures as a guide, and compare what each provider's days and scope include.

What a permanent head of marketing costs

Pay varies a lot by region and company size. As an example, a head of marketing role at a B2B business might be around £60,000 a year. This is an illustration, not a survey figure. Nationally, Ashdown Group's Marketing Salary Guide 2026 puts head of marketing pay at £74,473 to £105,138 (lower to upper quartile), with a median of £87,615. For marketing directors, the median is £100,757.

Using that £60,000 example:

• Salary: £60,000
• Employer National Insurance: about £8,250 a year (15% on earnings above £5,000, my arithmetic: (£60,000 minus £5,000) x 15%). The 15% rate applies from April 2025, as Practicus notes.
• Salary plus NI: about £68,250

And on top of that: employer pension contributions, benefits, equipment and software, recruitment fees or advertising, and the months it takes to hire and for someone to become productive.

So which costs less?

At one day a week, fractional sits at or below the cost of a permanent head of marketing, and often well below. At two days a week it is about the same or higher. So fractional is not automatically cheaper. It is cheaper when you need a small amount of senior input, and it is better value when what you need is senior judgement more than full-time attendance.

What the permanent salary buys is a person in the business five days a week. What the fractional day rate buys is a more experienced person on the days that matter, and none of the recruitment, notice period or employment commitment. Which of those is worth more depends on your situation. See fractional vs full-time head of marketing. If you want to see what the role involves day to day, read what a fractional head of marketing does, or see how I work with B2B businesses on my fractional B2B marketing page.

Where my offer sits

For comparison with the market figures above, my Fractional Demand Generation Lead service starts from £2,500 a month, with a three-month minimum term. That is below the £3,000 to £10,000 monthly range Practicus quotes, so check what each provider's days and scope include before comparing prices like for like. The scope, the number of days and how much hands-on delivery you need all affect the final figure. See work with me for what the service covers.

What drives the price

• Days per week or month. The biggest factor.
• Seniority and sector experience. Specialist experience, such as life sciences, usually costs more.
• Scope. Strategy only, or strategy plus hands-on delivery.
• Length of commitment. Longer arrangements sometimes carry a lower rate.
• Whether you also need execution. Agencies, freelancers or staff cost extra.

Questions to ask any fractional provider

1. What exactly is included in the days, and what happens if we need more?
2. How much notice is needed to stop, and what does it cost?
3. Who does the delivery, and what will that cost on top?
4. How will you measure whether it's working?

The free diagnostic shows where your marketing is and isn't working, and I'm happy to talk through a scope on a call.

Common questions

Is fractional marketing cheaper than hiring?

At around one day a week, usually. At two days a week it is close to a permanent hire. The reason to choose it is senior judgement without a full-time commitment, not only price.

What does your service cost?

My Fractional Demand Generation Lead service starts from £2,500 a month with a three-month minimum term. Details are on the work with me page.

Do I pay for days I don't use?

It depends on the arrangement. Ask any provider before agreeing.

Are there extra costs on top?

Possibly: tools, media spend, and agencies or freelancers for delivery.