SELF-CHECK · CTO COST
Fractional CTO cost calculator
The fractional CTO cost calculator compares a fractional CTO with a full-time CTO, by the month and by the year, from the quote you have and a sourced salary figure.
The drawing shows a full-time hire's salary and overhead as hours at your rate and, under it, your fractional hours against the break-even point where both cost the same.
Add the hours a month and the fractional CTO hourly rate you were quoted. The calculator sets that cost beside a full-time salary plus employer costs and shows the break-even: the hours a month at which both cost the same. The salary starts at a Job Bank wage figure, shown with its source and date. Hours, rate and overhead are example inputs; replace them with your own numbers.
Monthly and yearly cost
At these inputs, a fractional CTO costs $6,400 a month, $7,680 less than a full-time hire at $14,080.
Break-even: about 70 hours a month at this rate.
A full-time CTO at these inputs costs about $81 for each of 2,080 working hours a year; the fractional rate is $200 an hour for 32 hours a month.
| Option | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time CTO | $14,080 | $168,960 |
| Fractional CTO | $6,400 | $76,800 |
| Full-time costs more by | $7,680 | $92,160 |
Where the salary figure comes from. Job Bank (Government of Canada) lists $45.54 to $120.19 an hour, with a median of $67.69, for computer and information systems managers (NOC 20012) in the Toronto region (2023-2024 data, updated November 19, 2025). At 2,080 hours a year, that is about $94,723 to $249,995 a year, with a median of $140,795. See the source
How the calculator works
- A full-time year is 2,080 working hours (40 hours a week). Job Bank publishes hourly wages, so the calculator multiplies them by 2,080.
- Computer and information systems managers (NOC 20012) is the closest published wage group to a hands-on startup CTO. A startup CTO’s pay can sit above or below it.
- The fractional hours and rate are example inputs, not market rates. Replace them with the quote you have.
- The full-time cost is the salary plus the overhead percentage you enter. Equity, bonuses and recruiting fees are left out unless you add them to the percentage.
- Amounts are in Canadian dollars, rounded to the nearest dollar.
The bars show the cost. How many hours you need depends on what you are building, and that is a short conversation.
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How the fractional CTO cost calculator works
The calculator sets two costs side by side.
- Fractional: the hours of CTO time you need each month, times the fractional CTO hourly rate you were quoted. Both start as example inputs, so replace them with the numbers in your proposal.
- Full-time: a salary, plus a percentage for benefits, employer payroll contributions and other overhead. The salary starts at the Job Bank median wage for the closest published occupation, and you can type the offer you would make instead.
Both monthly costs show as bars on one scale, with a table of monthly and yearly totals and the difference. The break-even mark shows how many hours a month make a fractional CTO cost as much as a full-time hire at your rate. Below it, fractional costs less; above it, a hire does. The assumptions are listed under the result, so you can see exactly what was counted.
Your numbers stay in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to BrainStormers or stored. If website analytics is on, the page counts one event when a result is shown, without your numbers.
New to the role itself? Our guide explains the fractional CTO meaning and what the work covers week to week, and Fractional CTO vs full-time CTO compares the two options beyond cost.
METHOD
Where the numbers come from
Only one starting number has a published source: the full-time salary. It starts at the Job Bank median wage for computer and information systems managers in the Toronto region, the closest published wage group to a startup CTO. The source is listed below with the date we checked it. No official source publishes fractional CTO rates, so the hours, the rate and the overhead are example inputs. Replace them with the quote you have rather than a benchmark nobody can check.
Thanos Gkanas, our Head of Engineering, wrote the calculator and owns its figures and assumptions.
The result is an estimate for planning, not a quote. Real costs depend on scope, seniority, location and how the role is set up. If you want senior technical leadership on a part-time basis, our fractional chief technology officer service is one option to price against a hire.
Sources checked
FAQ
Questions about fractional CTO cost
How much does a fractional CTO cost?
It depends on how many hours you need and the rate you agree, so the monthly cost is the hours times the rate. Fractional CTOs are quoted by the hour, by the day or as a fixed monthly fee for a set number of hours. The calculator starts from example inputs, so replace them with the quotes you have.
What are typical fractional CTO rates?
No official source publishes fractional CTO rates, and quotes vary widely with seniority, scope and market, so the calculator does not suggest one. Compare the quotes you collect on the same basis, such as the cost per hour of senior time. Then enter that fractional CTO hourly rate to see it next to a full-time salary.
What does the calculator count in a full-time CTO's cost?
The salary first, then a percentage you set for the costs an employer carries on top of it, such as benefits, payroll contributions, equipment and hiring. The salary starts at a Job Bank wage figure, and the percentage is an example input. Change either one to match the offer you would actually make, and the totals update with it.
How does a fractional CTO's monthly cost compare with a salary?
A fractional CTO is paid for set hours each month, with no payroll costs on top, so it costs less while the need is part-time. A salary costs more in total but usually less per hour once the role fills most of the week. The calculator marks that break-even. Our page on fractional CTO salary compares the two.
Where do the calculator's numbers come from, and how current are they?
Only the full-time salary has a published source: Job Bank wage data for computer and information systems managers in the Toronto region, listed with the date we last checked it. The fractional hours, the rate and the overhead are example inputs, because no official source publishes fractional CTO rates. Replace any number that does not fit your situation.
NEXT STEP
Price the role, then the person
Once you know the hours, the next question is what the role should cover. Tell us your stage and your team, and we will help you scope it before you price anyone.