The Average Salary of an Outsourced CFO

David Johnston CFO
3 min readFeb 10, 2023

As the Chief Financial Officer, CFOs have a wealth of knowledge and expertise that can impact your business. However, hiring a full-time CFO can be expensive for many small businesses.

Luckily, there are outsourced CFO services that allow you to get access to strategic finance advice at a fraction of the cost. This way, you can save money while still having the same benefits as a full-time CFO.

Outsourced CFOs are often much more cost effective than hiring a full-time Chief Financial Officer. Hiring a CFO can be expensive, requiring equity, bonuses, profit sharing, and other benefits.

Outsourcing CFOs provide strategic guidance to companies for a fraction of the average CFO salary, potentially saving up to $100,000 annually!

The outsourced CFO’s average salary can vary depending on their industry and experience. Finding someone with relevant and practical experience in helping a company as yours succeed is essential.

Whether you’re looking to save time on bookkeeping or trying to build a finance team that can support your business long-term, a part-time CFO is an excellent option. They can provide financial advice and strategic leadership to keep your startup on track for growth.

They can also assist in resource management, which is crucial for startups. They can help you set goals or projects that allow you to leverage your resources efficiently and meet the objectives that you have set out for the business.

Another cost-saving advantage of hiring a part-time CFO is that they only work for you when you need them. That means you only pay them for some of their hours, which can be pretty expensive.

This can help you save significant money, especially if you’re running a small or growing company that needs more money for a full-time CFO. On average, you can save up to 60% by hiring a fractional CFO instead of a full-time one.

One of the most important responsibilities of a CFO is to be able to interpret and analyze financial data quickly and efficiently. This requires a strong analytical background, including a good understanding of the company’s specific industry and business model.

Having this knowledge is crucial in making informed decisions that benefit the organization as a whole. For example, a CFO may be able to identify emerging opportunities, offer insights into how to improve cash flow, and help the business better understand its finances.

Aside from their financial expertise, the outsourced CFOs of the modern age exhibit various facets, from communication skills to innovation and creativity. It’s common for CFOs to use their skills to make your company a better place by optimizing operations, lowering risk, and delivering a great customer experience. In addition, they can save you money on other expenses, such as health insurance and travel costs.

CFOs are vital players in the financial management of a company, and they usually come with a high salary. Their money is based on a few factors, including location, qualifications, and years of experience.

For example, a CFO based in San Francisco makes an average of $517,800 per year, while the same position in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, pays $370,800 annually.

In addition to the salary, CFOs have to pay taxes and benefits. This can get very expensive for small businesses.

The cost of hiring a full-time CFO can be difficult for many startups to budget. Hiring an outsourced CFO is much more affordable, saving you money in the long run.

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David Johnston CFO

Former CFO David Johnston is the proud founder of the dbj Consulting LLC.