Fractional CTO vs full-time CTO in Australia

A full-time CTO in Australia often costs $300,000–$400,000+ per year once you include salary, super, on-costs, and equity. Recruitment can take months.

A fractional CTO gives you senior leadership on a monthly retainer — typically a fraction of that cost — with faster start and less long-term risk.

Choose fractional when

• You need senior judgement now, not in six months
• The business is not ready for a full executive seat
• You want flexibility as priorities change
• You need leadership and may also need delivery support

Choose full-time when

• You have a large engineering organisation to lead every day
• The board expects a permanent technical executive
• Technology is the core product and needs full-time ownership

Many companies start fractional, then hire full-time once the role shape is clear. That is often the smarter path.