Hire a CMO

How to Hire a CMO (Without the Full-Time Cost)

You can hire a CMO full-time, at $275,000 to $375,000 a year plus equity and a 3-to-6-month search, or hire a fractional CMO for $5,000 to $15,000 a month who starts in 30 days. For most companies under $50M in revenue, fractional is the smarter first hire.

Hiring a full-time CMO too early is one of the most expensive mistakes a growth company makes: a large salary, a long ramp, and real risk if the fit is wrong. A fractional CMO removes that risk, delivers the leadership now, and can hire the team a future full-time CMO would inherit.

To hire a fractional CMO with MarkCMO, book a free strategy call, agree on scope, and most engagements are live within a week.

Book a free 30-minute strategy call

Frequently asked questions

When should I hire a full-time CMO vs a fractional one?

Hire full-time once your revenue and team can keep a senior executive fully occupied, usually past $50M. Below that, hire fractional.

How fast can I hire a fractional CMO?

Most fractional CMO engagements are live within 5 to 7 business days of the first call, versus 3 to 6 months to hire full-time.

Related: fractional CMO · pricing · vs the alternatives · how MarkCMO compares.

Every way to hire CMO leadership: Fractional Chief Marketing Officer · CMO Consultant · CMO Services · CMO Agency · CMO Advisory · Rent a CMO · CMO as a Service · Outsourced CMO · Part-Time CMO · Interim CMO · B2B CMO · SaaS CMO · Startup CMO · Remote CMO · Contract CMO · CMO Retainer.

Reviewed by Mark Gabrielli, Fractional CMO and COO. Last verified August 2026.