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Free practice calculator

What should your fractional day rate be?

Start with the income you want, the costs you carry, and the number of days you can genuinely sell. We will work backwards to a sustainable rate. No email required.

Build your rate

Use annual figures excluding GST. Adjust every assumption to match the practice you actually want to run.

What you want the business to pay you before personal tax.

$

Software, insurance, accounting, marketing, travel, and support.

$

A benefit your practice now needs to fund.

%

Room for quiet periods, reinvestment, and surprises.

%

Leave space for holidays, sick leave, and professional development.

weeks

Days you can sell after pipeline, admin, and running the business.

days

The rate is a business model, not a salary divided by 260.

Revenue target = (income target + super + business costs) ÷ (1 − profit buffer)

Day rate = revenue target ÷ sellable days, rounded up to the next $50.

  1. 01
    Protect non-billable time. Pipeline, proposals, admin, learning, and community are part of the job. If you sell five days every week, the business has nowhere to run.
  2. 02
    Treat the result as a floor. Urgency, complexity, risk, specialist expertise, and measurable value can all justify pricing above it.
  3. 03
    Sell the engagement. Convert the rate into a clear monthly commitment and outcome. Clients should buy access and progress, not a timesheet.

Day rate questions, answered plainly.

What is a typical fractional executive day rate in Australia?

A practical planning range is about $1,200 to $2,500 per day. Function, seniority, scarcity, scope, business stage, and the commercial value of the work all move the number.

Should I add GST?

The calculator shows fees excluding GST. If you are registered for GST, quote and invoice GST separately where required.

Why include super and a profit buffer?

Your practice needs to fund benefits and resilience that an employer once covered. The buffer gives you room for quiet periods, reinvestment, and unexpected costs.

Should I tell clients my day rate?

Use it internally to test whether a retainer or project is commercially sound. Externally, lead with the outcome, scope, access, cadence, and monthly investment.

Build the practice around the rate.

FEC is where experienced operators compare positioning, packaging, pricing, pipeline, and the realities of serving multiple clients.

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