Fractional HR pricing
Five services. One retainer. You set the number.
Every service has its own hourly rate. You set a monthly budget, and we bill the hours actually worked at the rate for that work, not one blended rate for everything.
An example month
$6,000 monthly budget
A 14-person agency. Billed for the hours worked, at each service's own rate.
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HR Administration $1,250
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Fractional HR Consulting $2,220
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Fractional Operations Consulting $1,480
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Graphic Design $1,050
Every rate · what's included
The rate
$50 per hour
HR Administration
Payroll inputs, benefits, onboarding and records, run to a calendar with a name on every step.
Typically billed for
- Payroll inputs and benefits administration
- Onboarding, offers and employee records
- A calendar of recurring HR tasks, each with an owner
The rate
$185 per hour
Fractional HR Consulting
Performance, pay and compliance standards, so people decisions stop being made one at a time.
Typically billed for
- Performance plans and manager coaching
- Pay structures and compliance standards, including multi-state
- Employee relations guidance when something lands
The rate
$185 per hour
Fractional Operations Consulting
Ownership, process and cadence, written down and run until the company doesn't need us in the room.
Typically billed for
- Who owns which decision, written down
- Processes and a regular planning cadence
- Running it with you until your team can carry it
The rate
$75 per hour
Graphic Design
A brand toolkit, templates and a request queue, so every deck and document looks like one company.
Typically billed for
- A brand toolkit and reusable templates
- Decks, newsletters, hiring graphics and documents
- A single request queue instead of one-off asks
The rate
$225 per hour
Executive Services
A senior right hand for the decisions only a founder or CEO can make, and following them through.
Typically billed for
- Leadership coaching and difficult conversations
- Succession and organisation decisions
- Follow-through, so decisions actually land
Looking for recruitment? It is priced separately. See recruitment pricing
Our Services
Five layers.
One retainer.
HR Administration
Owns processes, systems, and documentation
- Payroll processing and timecard review
- PTO tracking and leave records
- HRIS administration and data entry
- Personnel files and employee records
- Employment verification requests
- Reporting and data exports
- Company announcements and recognition
- Employee survey administration
- Document administration
- Process documentation upkeep
Graphic Design
Owns everything your people and candidates see
- Employer branding packets
- Recruiting collateral
- Benefits guides and summaries
- Handbook and training material formatting
- Newsletters and internal comms
- Org charts and intranet updates
- Google Site updates
- Company digital materials
- Presentation and deck creation
- Employer brand asset library
Fractional HR Consulting
Owns employees, offer stage to separation
- Offers, negotiation, and onboarding programs
- I-9 and E-Verify administration
- Employee relations, coaching, corrective action
- Workplace investigations and documentation
- Compensation analysis and pay equity reviews
- Benefits, open enrollment, leave, workers comp
- Handbooks, policy, multi-state compliance
- FMLA, ADA, and contractor classification reviews
- Performance reviews and manager coaching
Fractional Operations Consulting
Owns how the business runs day to day
- Organizational design and restructuring
- Role architecture and department design
- Headcount, capacity, and workforce planning
- KPI development and leadership scorecards
- L10 and leadership meeting facilitation
- Annual and quarterly planning sessions
- HR technology strategy and budget planning
- Change management and adoption
Executive Services
Owns leadership, organizational risk, and business strategy
- CEO and founder coaching, executive 1:1s
- Leadership team development and succession
- High-risk terminations and investigations
- Harassment and discrimination matters
- Employment attorney coordination and EEOC response
- Compensation philosophy and incentive design
- Executive comp, equity, and commission strategy
- M&A people integration and due diligence
- Board reporting, crisis, reduction in force
How it works
Getting started is easier than you think
We fit into how you work, not the other way around. Here's what it looks like from day one.
Book a discovery call-
Tell us where you are right now
We start with a real conversation, not a 30-question intake form. You tell us what's working, what isn't, and what keeps you up at night. We listen, ask a few follow-up questions, and figure out together what actually needs to happen first.
What we'll cover
- Your current team structure and headcount
- Where HR and operations feel chaotic or unclear
- What you want the next 6 months to look like
- Which services might actually be the right fit
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We put together a plan that fits
There's no off-the-shelf package here. We look at what you actually need and match you with the right specialists from our team. Whether that's fractional HR leadership, a recruitment lead, payroll support, or all of it, you get exactly what makes sense for where you are.
Services included in your plan
HROpsPayHire -
Meet the people on your team
You'll be introduced to the specific specialists handling your work. These are real people you'll actually talk to, not a rotating support queue. Most clients end up working with the same one or two people consistently, which makes a real difference.
Who you'll hear from
HR lead Operations lead Payroll specialist Recruitment leadThe same one or two people, week after week.
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We get to work. You stay in the loop.
Once we're up and running, we handle the day-to-day so you don't have to. You'll get regular check-ins, clear communication, and visibility into what's happening. No chasing us down for updates. No wondering what's been done.
What ongoing looks like
Weekly async updateWhat we did, what's coming, anything that needs your inputMonthly strategic check-inBigger picture review and scope adjustments if neededDirect access, alwaysReach your specialist directly when something comes up
Operationary cost savings calculator
One full-time hire. Or an entire bench.
Compare the cost of the full-time HR hire you would realistically make with a flexible Operationary retainer, then see how that same investment can stretch across HR, operations, executive support, administration and design.
Compare the real alternatives
What would a full-time HR hire cost you?
Use the salary you would realistically expect to pay. Then compare it with the monthly Operationary investment you are considering.
Build your bench
How would you use your Operationary retainer?
Adjust the monthly hours below to see how your investment can move across different specialties.
See what one retainer unlocks
The difference is not just cost. It is range.
Services light up when you allocate hours to them.
HR Administration
Payroll, onboarding, HRIS support and recurring HR execution.
Graphic Design
Internal communications, branded materials and visual support.
Fractional HR
Strategy, employee relations, compliance and people leadership.
Fractional Operations
Processes, systems, workflows, KPIs and operational infrastructure.
Executive Services
Senior advisory, decision support and leadership partnership.
Built-in flexibility
Unused hours roll over, up to 90 days.
A quiet month builds a reserve for a busy one. Hours you don't use stay in the bank for when things get busy. No awkward invoice conversation.
Questions we hear
Fractional HR, answered plainly
What it is, what it costs, and how it works for companies under 50 employees.
Book a discovery callWhat is fractional HR consulting?
Fractional HR consulting gives you a senior HR professional for the hours you need, instead of a full-time hire. At Operationary, that means help with performance, pay, compliance and employee relations, so people decisions stop being made one at a time.
How much does fractional HR consulting cost?
Fractional HR consulting at Operationary is $185 an hour. You set a monthly budget, and we bill the hours actually worked, so a $6,000 month buys about 32 hours if you spend all of it on HR consulting. Other services have their own rates, such as $50 an hour for HR administration. You can see every rate on our Fractional HR pricing page.
Who is it for?
Companies with roughly 10 to 50 people that have outgrown handling HR on the side but are not ready to hire a full-time HR director. Often the founder or the operations lead is the one holding it all together.
Can you help with employee complaints, compliance and terminations?
Yes, this is a big part of the work. We help you handle an employee complaint properly and document it, plan a termination including what final pay looks like, and keep your policies, pay structures and compliance standards up to date, including for teams in more than one state. We are HR consultants, not a law firm, so if a situation looks headed for legal action, we will tell you to bring in an employment attorney.
Can you also handle hiring, onboarding and payroll?
Yes, through our other services. HR administration covers payroll inputs, benefits, onboarding and employee records at $50 an hour, and recruitment has its own pricing page. That lets one team cover all of it.
How is this different from a full-time HR hire or a PEO?
A full-time HR hire means paying a full salary whether or not there is enough work, and one generalist is often stronger at paperwork than at strategy. A PEO is built to process transactions, not to tell you what your next move should be. Fractional HR consulting gives you senior judgment for the hours you actually use.
Do I have to sign a contract?
Yes. Once you decide to work with us, we send a contract to sign before any work starts, so scope and rates are clear to both sides. The discovery call itself is free and carries no commitment. Within the contract, unused hours roll over for up to 90 days, so a quiet month builds a reserve for a busy one.
How do we get started?
Book a free 45-minute discovery call. We find out whether it is a fit before either of us spends money. If it is, we start with a two-week health assessment that gives you a plain-language report on what is working and what is not, then build a plan around the monthly budget you set.
Start with a conversation about your actual week.
Forty five minutes. Not a demo, not a proposal. If a bench would not change anything, we will tell you that.