March 21, 2025

Fractional Work Statistics: 100+ Trends You Need to Know (2025)

Mo Shehu

Discover the latest fractional work statistics for 2025—covering income trends, hiring insights, and growth strategies for professionals and businesses.

What the Data Tells Us About Fractional Work

Our internal research and two separate reports by Frak Conference and Vendux point to the same thing: fractional work is not just expanding—it’s evolving. While Frak looked at the industry as a whole, Vendux zoomed in on fractional sales leadership specifically, giving us another layer of insight into how this model is growing and changing.

Frak’s State of Fractional Industry Report 2024 surveyed 250 fractional professionals across 29 US states. The results confirm what many of us have seen firsthand: demand for fractional work is rising, but so are the challenges that come with it.

Here’s a categorized breakdown of the statistics, along with key insights.

Fractional Industry Demographics

Number of Fractional Leaders

Per the Frak report, there were 120,000 fractional leaders in 2024, up from 60,000 fractionals in 2022.

Drilling specifically into sales, Vendux reported that the number of fractional sales leaders in the U.S. and Canada has grown from 5,000 in 2020 to 9,000 in 2024.

Average Years of Experience for Fractional Executives

Fractional work attracts senior-level professionals who specialize in high-demand industries. The survey respondents reported the following experience levels:

6.4% — Less than 10 years
20.8% — 10-15 years
20.8% — 16-20 years
21.6% — 21-25 years
30.4% — 26+ years

72.8% of respondents have 15+ years of experience, according to the Frak report. This suggests that fractional consulting is a veteran’s game, as that’s who companies are paying top dollar for.

Top Industries for Fractional Work

Fractional leaders serve various industries, including:

51.6% — Technology
35.6% — Manufacturing
34.8% — SaaS
32.0% — Healthcare
26.4% — Financial Services/Banking
23.2% — Nonprofit
21.6% — E-Commerce
20.4% — Construction
16.8% — Retail
14.8% — Media/Publishing
14.4% — Education
12.4% — Hospitality/Entertainment
12.4% — Transportation / Logistics / Supply Chain
12.0% — CPG
10.0% — Energy/Utilities
10.0% — Real Estate
10.0% — Legal
9.6% — Pharmaceutical/Biotechnology
8.4% — Agriculture
6.8% — Telecommunications
5.2% — Government
4.8% — Professional/Business Services
16.8% — Other

The concentration in tech, SaaS, and healthcare makes sense—these industries are evolving fast and need experienced leaders who can step in without the long-term commitment of a full-time hire, especially with AI disrupting so many industries.

For fractional sales leaders specifically, the industry breakdown leads with SaaS, professional services, consulting, and cybersecurity (scan the graph from the bottom up).

Diversity of Fractional Executives

From a diversity perspective, there is much to be desired. Looking at the race/ethnicity of the survey respondents, here’s how they self-identified, per Frak:

89.4% — White/Caucasian
4.5% — Asian/Pacific Islander
2.8% — Black or African American
2.8% — Multiple/Other Ethnicities
0.4% — American Indian or Alaskan Native

The message is clear for underrepresented leaders who want to explore fractional work: go for it. There is space for you in the market.

Top Reasons for Exploring Fractional Work

One of the biggest reasons professionals are drawn to fractional work? Flexibility.

According to the Frak survey:

83.3% cited flexibility as their main motivation.
68.8% enjoy the diversity of experience and work.
64.6% want to better leverage their expertise.
52.1% see it as a way to build a portfolio career.
45.8% seek reduced job stress.
35.4% value networking and professional growth.
29.2% are considering it due to job loss or instability.
27.1% are attracted by financial opportunities.
18.8% use it as a transition to another full-time role.
12.5% want to enter a new industry or competitive market.

If you want to boost your income while chasing that elusive work-life balance, fractional work might just be the answer.

Fractional Business Models & Average Incomes

Vendux data shows the average monthly compensation for fractional sales leaders hit $9,651 in 2024, up from $9,350 in 2023. Average hourly rates for fractional sales executives also rose to $213, compared to $176 the year before.

While many fractional consultants still rely on retainers (about two-thirds of all engagements), project fees, success-based models, and hourly work are also common.

Most fractionals use retainer-based pricing, which offers predictable income. The challenge is scaling beyond a one-person operation—few fractionals work in teams or firms, which limits growth potential. If you can team up with adjacent peers — for example, a fractional CMO pairing up with a fractional COO or CFO, the scaling problem gets easier.

Companies clearly prefer longer-term engagements, but maintaining those contracts requires strong relationship management.

Top Billing Models for Fractional Work

40% use a monthly retainer model (for fractional sales leaders, it’s 63%).
40% use a mix of retainers and hourly billing.
12% charge hourly, and 12.5% use other pricing structures.

Average hours for fractional work

Our internal data shows that fractionals work an average of 5 to 20 hours a month per client, with the standard being 10-15 hours per month per retainer. This comfortably allows for four clients at a time, and up to five for fractional consultants willing to stretch their bandwidth.

However, the hourly load doesn’t account for running a fractional business itself. Fractionals must still allocate time for admin and business development.

Monthly Income Levels for Fractional Consultants

29.5% charge less than $5,000 per month.
40% charge $5,001 – $8,000 per month.
18.5% charge $8,001 – $10,000 per month.
12% charge over $10,000 per month.

Average Annual Earnings for Fractional Leaders

12% earned $250,000 or more in the last calendar year.
9.6% earned between $200,000-$249,999.
10.8% earned between $150,000-$199,999.
20.4% earned between $100,000-$149,999.
17.2% earned between $50,000-$99,999.
30% earned less than $50,000 in the last calendar year.

In other words, over half (52.8%) of fractional leaders earned $100,000+ in the last calendar year. Said differently, there is a higher than average chance that you’ll make six figures a year as a fractional executive.

Average Number of Clients for Fractional Consultants

Beyond simply charging more, fractional consultants can scale by taking on more clients. However, it gets harder to manage delivery as you sign new clients. Here are some industry benchmarks:

23.6% currently serve 5 or more clients
13.6% currently serve 4 clients
20% currently serve 3 clients
23.2% currently serve 2 clients
13.6% currently serve 1 client
6% currently have no clients

For fractional sales leaders, Vendux reports an average of 4.3 engagements per sales leader.

Fractional Client Engagement Length

45.6% of engagements last 1-2 years.
42% last less than a year.
8.8% last 3-5 years.
3.6% last more than 5 years.

One might say, “The industry experiences high churn” (since most clients dropping off within two years). Another take is that the very nature of fractional work is to eventually fire yourself — and it seems this usually happens at the 12-month mark.

Industry Focus for Fractional Executives

Of the survey respondents in the Frak report, here’s how fractional leadership breaks down by industry:

30.4% — Marketing/Communications
16.0% — Operations
9.6% — Sales & Business Development
8.8% — Human Resources
8.0% — Strategy
7.6% — Finance
6.8% — Other
6.4% — IT
2.0% — Legal
2.0% — Training & Development
1.2% — Research & Development
0.4% — Compliance/Risk Management
0.4% — Customer Service/Support
0.4% — Procurement/Purchasing

Marketing likely sees the bulk of fractional executives due to the ease and prevalence of outsourcing marketing services. However, this means there’s an opportunity for executive leaders in other functions to stand out and build thriving fractional businesses in less crowded domains.

Ask yourself: What might a fractional R&D role look like? Or a fractional procurement leadership role? What value could you offer, and what might companies be willing to pay for it?

Top company types and growth stages for fractional engagements

Fractional consultants work mainly with scale-up clients (73.2%), followed by startups (57.2%) and established organizations (53.6%).

They also switch between B2B and B2C, with:

3.6% serving B2C
39.6% serving B2B, and
56.8% serving both B2B and B2C

This suggests the best place to start with fractional consulting is in B2B, because that’s where the money is. However, B2C may also be ripe for the taking since there’s little competition.

Client Acquisition & Growth Strategies for Fractional Leaders

Networking dominates client acquisition, with referrals leading the way. Vendux found that 74% of fractional sales assignments are self-sourced—specifically:

34% come from networking
28% from referrals
19% from cold outreach
19% from marketplaces

The Frak report backs this up too, with referrals bringing in the lion’s share of new business for fractional consultants.

92.8% get clients through referrals from their network.
73.2% receive referrals directly from clients.
72.8% plan to grow their business through networking.
30.4% use social media for lead generation.
19.2% rely on cold outreach.
49.6% focus on personal branding for social media.
34.8% leverage previous employers for new contracts.
23.6% plan to add new services.
13.2% plan to invest in advertising.
25.6% intend to increase cold outreach.
21.2% will hire support to increase capacity.

This confirms what we already know: your best source of new business is from existing customers.

It also means that if you want to build a business supporting fractional consultants, your best bet is a community play — events, private networks (Slack, Facebook, etc.), meetups, retreats, and masterminds — that focuses on helping fractionals acquire new clients.

The fact that so few fractionals use cold outreach or paid advertising suggests a big opportunity for those willing to stand out.

Strong personal branding—especially on LinkedIn—is also becoming a key differentiator. Here are some LinkedIn post ideas for fractionals.

Key Challenges in Fractional Work

Vendux highlighted a few growing concerns:

Scope creep — clients expecting more than originally scoped
Trust issues due to market saturation with underqualified providers
Misconceptions about AI replacing strategic sales leadership

These echo what we’ve seen across the board: as more professionals enter the space, standing out, setting boundaries, and setting the record straight becomes harder—and more important.

Many companies don’t fully understand how to use fractional talent, so fractionals spend a lot of time educating potential clients before they even get to a sale.

59.6% say their biggest challenge is finding clients.
50% cite lack of awareness about fractional work among businesses as a major hurdle.
36.4% struggle with setting the right prices.
30.8% struggle to scale beyond themselves.
30.4% find developing their network and partners challenging.
30% struggle with balancing multiple clients.
22.8% are worried about having enough opportunities for business development in the coming year.
20.4% lack a clear definition for fractional vs. other ways of working.
19.2% find building a strong brand to be difficult.
14.8% find figuring out technology and tools a headache.
10% complain about too much fractional competition, with 6.8% complaining about too much competition in their specific area of expertise.
6.8% could use help with financial management.
6.0% struggle with client retention.
5.2% worry about not delivering high quality work.
4.8% don’t fully understand the basics of running a fractional business.
2.8% find it hard navigating regulatory compliance and legal issues.
8% of respondents reported no challenges at all. They’re clearly winning.

Fractional Work: Hiring Trends & Client Decision-Making

Fractional hiring decisions are made at the top:

85.2% of respondents were hired by Founders/Owners.
74% were hired by CEOs/Presidents.
18.4% were hired by Marketing leadership.
16.8% were hired by Operations leadership.
10.4% were hired by Sales leadership.
9.2% were hired by HR leadership.
8% were hired by Finance leadership.

If you’re not networking with founders, CEOs, or key decision-makers, you’re missing out on the best opportunities. Beyond that organizational level, the numbers drop significantly:

5.2% were hired by IT leadership.
4.8% were hired by Project management teams.
3.2% were hired by Research & development departments.
2.4% were hired by Compliance and risk management departments.
2.4% were hired by Legal teams.
1.2% were hired by Customer service/support teams.

This doesn’t mean there’s no hope for fractionals operating in these other domains, but that you might need to better align and position your value to their needs to unlock engagements.

The Role of AI in Fractional Work

Both reports confirm AI is becoming table stakes. Per Frak, 68% of fractionals are already using AI in their work. 16.4% don’t yet use AI but plan to, and 15.6% do not use AI at this time.

Vendux didn’t provide a percentage, but noted that the belief AI can replace leadership is misguided. The real advantage comes from knowing how to use AI to amplify leadership—not replace it.

AI is already reshaping industries, and those who integrate it into their work will be more efficient, deliver better insights, and ultimately be more competitive.

Additional Income Streams for Fractional Professionals

Fractionals are diversifying their income through consulting, speaking, writing, and creating digital products. This is smart, as relying on one-on-one client work alone can limit income potential and stability.

89.2% do consulting/project work beyond fractional roles.
24.4% do freelance work.
24% conduct workshops.
22.4% are speakers.
19.6% do writing.
16% create informational products (books, courses, etc.).
12% run podcasts.
4% do coaching or advising.
3.2% are founders of another business or startup.
1.2% teach.
1.2% offer training.
2% do nothing else apart from fractional work.

Future Prospects of Fractional Business Owners

The future looks hopeful for fractional leaders. Nearly half (49.2%) of fractional executives are excited about companies increasingly embracing fractional work as an option. Fractional sales leaders are even more optimistic: 78% of fCSOs expect an increase in opportunities, a notable rise from 67% just a year ago.

Fractional leaders are also interested in:

The opportunity to partner with other fractionals to develop new business or serve clients together (32.4%)
The growing sense of community support (12.8%)
Increased fractional educational or training opportunities (3.6%)
The diversity of the fractional community (2%)

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely pessimistic and 5 being extremely optimistic:

1.2% are extremely pessimistic.
2% are generally pessimistic.
18.4% are lukewarm about the whole thing.
39.6% are generally optimistic.
38.8% are extremely optimistic

In short, 78.4% of fractional executives feel optimistic about the future of fractional work. There’s a lot of hope in this new model of work.

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being not at all satisfied and 5 being highly satisfied, here’s how they answered:

2.8% (not at all satisfied)
7.2% (fairly dissatisfied)
28% (neither satisfied nor dissatisfied)
32.4% (fairly satisfied)
29.6% (highly satisfied)

In other words, a majority (62%) of fractional leaders express satisfaction with their fractional business. Once someone goes fractional, they hardly go back.

Final Thoughts on these Fractional Work Statistics

The combined data from Frak and Vendux paints a clear picture: fractional leadership—whether across departments or focused on sales—is gaining traction, driving impact, and delivering value.

But standing out in this space takes more than just experience. You need clarity, positioning, and consistency. You need to be known for something. And most of all—you need to show up.

Fractional work is a serious alternative to traditional hiring, and companies are catching on. But to succeed, you can’t just be great at what you do—you need to be great at positioning, networking, and adapting to new trends like AI.

The fractionals who build strong brands, embrace technology, and think beyond just client work will be the ones who dominate this space in the coming years.

About Column

At Column, we help fractional professionals and business leaders build visibility, attract clients, and establish authority on LinkedIn.

We specialize in turning your expertise into compelling content that drives inbound opportunities—so you spend less time chasing clients and more time doing what you do best.

Whether you need a strategic content plan, done-for-you LinkedIn ghostwriting, or help amplifying your personal brand, we’ve got you covered. Reach out to us today.