What does a fractional CFO cost in Australia?
If you’re weighing up a fractional CFO, the first question is usually the simplest: what does it cost? Here’s a straight answer, the pricing models you’ll encounter, and how it stacks up against the alternatives.
The short answer
In Australia, fractional CFO services typically cost $2,000 to $10,000+ per month, depending on how deep the engagement is and how often you meet. The range is wide because “fractional CFO” covers everything from a few hours of monthly oversight to a near-embedded finance leader.
The three pricing models
Hourly (~$200–$400/hour). Common with independent consultants. The upside is you only pay for time used. The downside is real: it’s unpredictable, and it quietly penalises you for engaging — every question has a meter running. You end up rationing the advice you’re paying for.
Monthly retainer for a block of hours. A fixed fee buys you, say, 20 hours a month. Better than pure hourly, but you’re still buying time, and you’ll watch the clock. Scope creep and “we’ve used your hours” conversations are common.
Fixed monthly fee for an outcome. You pay a set fee for a defined deliverable — a monthly board pack, a forecast, an advisory call — regardless of hours. The advisor is aligned with the result, not the time. You always know the cost, and you never ration questions.
We use the third model deliberately. Our pricing is $2,500/month for reporting, $4,000/month for advisory, or $8,000/quarter for a quarterly cadence — fixed, no hourly billing, no upsells.
How it compares to hiring
The reason fractional works is the maths against a full-time hire:
| Role | Typical Australian cost (loaded) |
|---|---|
| Full-time CFO | $200,000+ /year |
| Financial controller | $120,000–$160,000 /year |
| Fractional CFO | ~$30,000–$48,000 /year |
A full-time CFO only makes sense when the role is genuinely full-time — usually well into eight-figure revenue. Below that, you’d be paying a six-figure salary for a part-time need. A fractional CFO gives you the same seniority for the slice of it you actually use.
What you should actually be comparing
Cost is only half the equation. The other half is what the role returns. On a $15M business, one targeted move — getting invoices paid ten days sooner, lifting margin a single percent, catching overhead creep early — typically covers the annual fee many times over. The question isn’t really “what does it cost,” it’s “what’s the gap between having numbers and using them worth to my business.”
A good fractional CFO should be able to size that for your numbers in the first month. If they can’t, that tells you something too.
Fahy Advisory offers fixed-fee fractional CFO services to ambitious SMEs across Brisbane, Queensland and Australia — no hourly billing, no surprises. See our pricing or book a discovery call.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a fractional CFO cost in Australia?
Fractional CFO pricing in Australia typically ranges from around $2,000 to $10,000+ per month depending on engagement depth and cadence. Hourly arrangements run roughly $200–$400/hour. Fahy Advisory uses fixed monthly fees — $2,500/mo for reporting, $4,000/mo for advisory — with no hourly billing.
Is a fractional CFO cheaper than a full-time CFO?
Substantially. A full-time CFO in Australia costs $200,000+ once you load salary, superannuation and on-costs. A fractional CFO delivers the same seniority for roughly $30,000–$48,000 a year, because you only pay for the decision layer rather than a full-time salary line.
Should a fractional CFO charge hourly or a fixed fee?
Fixed fee is generally better for the client. Hourly billing penalises you for asking questions and makes the cost unpredictable. A fixed monthly fee aligns the advisor with outcomes rather than hours, and you always know what you're paying.
See the decision layer in action.
A 20-minute discovery call, or download a real sample board pack. No pressure, no jargon.