Compare the real cost of three approaches: building an in-house marketing team, hiring a traditional agency, or working with Fair & Squarely. The inputs are yours. The data is sourced and cited. And the results are instant.
Estimated time: less than 1 minute. Click to begin.
These are directional estimates based on national salary data and industry agency pricing benchmarks. They're designed to give you a realistic order-of-magnitude comparison — not a precise quote. Your actual costs will vary based on your location, the specific talent or agency you hire, and the depth of services required. We update our data sources annually and cite them transparently.
The in-house estimate includes more than base salary. It accounts for benefits and overhead (typically 25–35% above base salary), which includes health insurance, retirement contributions, payroll taxes, equipment, software licenses, and professional development. When you hire a full-time marketer, you're investing in far more than their salary.
We don't keep costs artificially low — we structure engagements efficiently. Our models are designed to provide the right level of support without overscoping. A Fractional CMO engagement delivers senior strategic leadership at a fraction of a full-time executive salary. An Agency of Record partnership is scoped precisely to your needs — you don't pay for services you don't use. And we don't pad proposals with unnecessary deliverables to inflate the total.
Most don't — and that's expected. This calculator provides a useful starting framework, but the real value comes from the discovery conversation where we can understand your specific situation, constraints, and goals. The discovery call is free, and there's no obligation.
Yes — you can run the calculator up to three times, adjust your inputs to get an accurate view based on your situation.