Rates, 2026
What should a fractional COO charge in a major city?
About $1,500 a day for a fractional COO who is working and booked in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin. $1,050 in the first years, $1,925 when senior.
Other markets: New York or LA · remote · a smaller market
First years
$1,050
a day · $125 an hour
Working, booked
$1,500
a day · $200 an hour
Senior, sought after
$1,925
a day · $250 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$1,500 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$200 per hour
- Monthly retainerthe operation run, two days a week$8,500 per month
Sold a monthly retainer, by the day. The month is the unit; one-off work is priced as a project.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Operations audit$2,125 to $6,800 each
- SOPs and process build$1,700 to $5,100 each
- Monthly leadership$4,250 to $12,750 per month
How the number is made
Fractional COOs at this level in this market day at about $1,500 ($1,000 to $2,500 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
A retainer is the month, not the hours: the operation run, two days a week. It is priced about 20% under the same work bought one at a time, in exchange for the certainty; three months minimum, or it is not a retainer.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a fractional COO in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin?
- About $1,500 a day for someone working and booked, $1,050 in the first years, $1,925 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- What does a monthly retainer look like for a fractional COO?
- Around $8,500 a month: the operation run, two days a week. About 20% under the same work bought one piece at a time, in exchange for certainty; three months minimum.
- Are these rates a rule?
- No. They are US 2026 ranges for the role, placed by level and moved for the market. What a client actually paid you beats all of it. The tool has a box for that, and it wins.
Your number, in five seconds.
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