RLP Advisory — Live Calculator

Fractional vs Full-Time: What It Actually Costs

Adjust the figures below to model your own situation — full UK employer costs included, not just headline salary.

Rob Pegg BA Hons FCILT  |  RLP Advisory Services Ltd
25+ Yrs Ops Leadership · FCILT Chartered Fellow
Most cost comparisons stop at the headline salary, which understates the real gap. A full-time hire carries employer National Insurance, pension contributions, recruitment fees, and the cost of an empty seat while you search. Drag the sliders below to see what your own numbers look like.

💼 Full-time hire

£150,000
20%
4 months

⏱ Fractional COO

4 days
£1,100

No employer NI, pension, recruitment fee, or notice period — engaged as a limited company contractor.

Full-time year-one cost
£0
Fractional annual cost
£0
Year-one saving with fractional
£0
What's built in: the full-time figure includes 15% employer National Insurance above the £5,000 secondary threshold (HMRC, 2026/27 rates, frozen through 2030/31), a 5% employer pension contribution, the recruitment fee selected above, and the opportunity cost of an empty seat during the hiring window, valued at the salary's monthly equivalent. Fractional rates reflect typical UK fractional COO market rates. This is a planning estimate, not financial advice — actual costs vary by role, sector, and individual arrangement.
Want the numbers run against your exact situation?