Do Fractional Execs Typically Have Multiple Clients? Or Just One?

Fractional Jobs Audience Data

Fractional Jobs is the largest network of fractional talent in the world, with a database of about 40,000 fractional executives and other fractional talent (as of Feb 2026). In this group, about 25% work with one client. Around 60% are working with two or more clients. And roughly 15% are still searching for their first client.

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When One Client Make Sense

Some folks choose to only have one fractional job at a time. They usually fit one of the following categories:

1. They’re down-shifting in their career to spend more time with family, traveling, on a hobby, etc.
2. They’re starting a company themselves, and are using fractional work to make income while they bootstrap
3. They’re brand new to fractional work, are just getting started, and have only landed one client so far
4. They have a full-time job, and are “moonlighting” with a fractional client

Having one client, however, is the minority.

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When Multiple Clients Makes Sense

Most often, fractional leaders have multiple clients, usually 2 - 4. This allows them to make enough money to replace, or even exceed, the compensation of their previous full-time job. It’s also where a large part of the appeal of fractional work comes from - the opportunity to work with multiple small businesses at a time, leveraging past expertise to help them grow.

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How Many Clients Can A Fractional Have?

There’s no hard limit on how many clients a fractional can take on. What’s typical will depend on two factors: the type of fractional work they do, and how much work they want to be doing overall.

Different functional areas require different levels of involvement per client. Fractional CFOs, for example, tend to be needed by their clients around 5 - 10 hrs per week. As such, it’s not uncommon for a Fractional CFO to have 4, 5, even 6+ clients. On the other hand, Fractional CTOs tend to be much more involved engagements, the work is just very different from Finance. As such, Fractional CTOs tend to have 2, maybe 3 clients at a time.

And then of course, if a fractional leader wants to push themselves to work more, picking up more clients than what is typical, nobody is stopping them. And the inverse is also true, if a fractional wants to work less than others, then more power to them as well.

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