Fractional Marketing Leader or Full-Time Head of Marketing: Which Is Best for Your Business Growth?

July 7, 2025
5 min read
Leadership, Marketing, Marketing Strategy

When your business is growing fast, having the right marketing leader is key. You’ll need someone who can set strategy, align your team, drive revenue, and boost your brand in a competitive market. For small to mid-size businesses (SMBs), the big question is whether to bring on a fractional marketing leader or hire a full-time head of marketing.

Both options have their own pros and cons, and the best choice really comes down to your business needs, goals, and budget.

A full-time marketing executive in the U.S. typically makes $150,000 to $250,000 a year for most SMBs, depending on their location and experience.

Source: Glassdoor

What is a Fractional Marketing Leader?

A fractional marketing leader is an experienced marketing pro you bring on part-time. They’re not full-time employees, but they have the know-how to provide strategic leadership for your marketing efforts. These leaders are seasoned experts or consultants with years of experience across various industries who step in to fill the marketing gaps your business might have. For businesses that need high-level guidance without the commitment of a full-time salary, they’re an incredibly valuable resource.

What is a Full-Time Head of Marketing?

A full-time Head of Marketing is a permanent team member who leads your entire marketing strategy and team. This high-level role covers everything from building the team and managing campaigns to executing strategies, allocating budgets, and focusing on long-term branding goals.

Cost Comparison

Fractional Marketing Leader

Hiring a Fractional Marketing Leader can save you a lot of money. A full-time marketing executive in the U.S. typically makes $150,000 to $250,000 a year for most SMBs, depending on their location and experience (according to Glassdoor). When you add in benefits, onboarding costs, and bonuses, the total gets even higher.

On the other hand, a fractional marketing expert usually charges a monthly retainer between $5,000 and $15,000, which works out to $60,000 to $180,000 a year. Since you’re only paying for the time and services you actually use, you skip the costs of benefits and other overhead expenses.

Full-Time Head of Marketing

Hiring a full-time Head of Marketing gives your business consistent, on-site leadership, but it definitely comes at a cost. We’ve already covered the average salary above, but there’s usually more to the cost of hiring a senior-level marketing employee:

Plus, don’t forget recruitment costs, which can be about 20% of the annual salary. It all adds up fast!

With a fractional marketing leader, you can avoid high salaries and extra costs like health benefits, PTO, and bonuses. It's a great solution if you're not quite ready for a FTE.

Pros and Cons of a Fractional Marketing Leader

Pros of a Fractional Marketing Leader

Cost Savings: Hiring a fractional leader is a much more budget-friendly option than bringing on a full-time executive. Shocking! Just kidding. With a fractional marketing leader, you can avoid high salaries and extra costs like health benefits, PTO, and bonuses. It's a great solution if you're not quite ready for a FTE.
Access to Expertise: A fractional leader gives you access to an experienced marketer with brains. These pros have often worked across different industries and bring tested strategies and fresh ideas that can be tailored to your business.
Flexibility: A fractional leader adjusts to your business needs, stepping in more or less depending on your marketing priorities and budget. It’s a flexible option that works great for growing businesses that don’t need a full-time exec just yet.
Build Up Your Resources: When your business is growing, you need support—and fast. A fractional marketing leader can help you kick off building your in-house marketing team or find the right external partners to match your goals.
Team Building & Leadership: A fractional leader knows how to step into a team and spot ways to boost performance. They’ll work directly with your staff, providing mentorship and bringing everyone together under a clear, unified strategy.

Cons of a Fractional Marketing Leader

Limited Availability: Since fractional leaders juggle multiple clients, they might not always be available to respond immediately to real-time issues or put in long hours.
Less Immersion in Company Culture: A part-time commitment means fractional marketing leaders might not fully connect with your company’s culture, which could affect how well they integrate with the team.
One Day, You'll Fire Them: You'll need to fire the fractional marketing leader one day. Don't worry, if they do their job right, it will be a very good thing because it means they helped you find your first full-time marketing executive hire.

Pros and Cons of a Full-Time Head of Marketing

Pros of a Full-Time Head of Marketing

Consistency and Stability: A full-time Head of Marketing brings consistency and focus to your team. They stay aligned with your company’s mission and vision while offering steady leadership for the long haul.
Cultural Integration: A full-time hire has the chance to really immerse themselves in your company culture, building stronger connections with your internal teams.
Long-Term Resource: A full-time Head of Marketing is exactly that—full-time. They’re there to handle the day-to-day issues while also helping to shape the company’s future.
Manage a Team: A full-time leader can focus on mentoring and helping your internal marketing team grow, building their skills and boosting the department’s development.

Cons of a Full-Time Head of Marketing

Higher Cost: Hiring a full-time employee comes with a big price tag. You’ve got the salary, benefits, workspace expenses, and all the time spent on the hiring process—it all adds up to a major financial commitment.
Time-Intensive Recruitment: LinkedIn says it can take up to 49 days to hire for senior roles like a Head of Marketing. That’s a long time to wait when you’ve got urgent marketing needs to tackle.
Risk of Mis-Hires: If a new hire doesn’t click with your company, replacing them can take a lot of time and money—and it can also affect your team’s culture.
Management Overload: A full-time hire can end up bogged down in operational responsibilities, diluting their ability to focus on broader strategic priorities.

You'll need to fire the fractional marketing leader one day. Don't worry, if they do their job right, it will be a very good thing because it meansthey helped you find your first full-time marketing executive hire.

Key Considerations to Help You Decide

When to Choose a Fractional Marketing Leader:

You’re in growth mode and need strategic leadership right away, but don’t want to commit to a full-time salary.
Your business has high priority marketing needs that need immediate attention, like launching a product, improving your brand, or breaking into a new market.
You’re looking for a flexible option that lets you scale depending on business and your goals.

When to Hire a Full-Time Head of Marketing:

The Hybrid Solution

Still unsure? Try starting with a fractional marketing leader as your business gets up to speed. Once things are running more smoothly and your budget grows, it’ll be much easier to bring on a full-time Head of Marketing.

Final Thoughts: Building the Right Leadership for Your Business

Investing in marketing leadership is a big step for your company’s growth. Whether you bring on a fractional marketing leader or hire a full-time Head of Marketing, it’s all about aligning the choice with your business goals and where you are right now.

If you’re curious about how a fractional marketing leader could bring expert strategy without the full-time commitment, let’s talk.

With the right leader in place, scaling your business becomes a lot more doable.

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