Flexible support that fits your stage

No long-term contracts. No surprise invoices. Just senior data expertise when you need it.

The Decision Ahead

At some point, every growing company faces the same question: do we hire a full-time data engineer, or find another way?

The answer depends on your stage. A full-time hire makes sense when you have constant, daily data work — complex pipelines to maintain, a data team to support, mature systems requiring dedicated attention. Most companies aren't there yet. They need someone to build the foundation, connect systems, and create the analytics layer, then maintain and improve it over time. That's project-based work with ongoing optimization, not 40 hours a week of data engineering.

The True Cost of a Full-Time Hire

A junior won't cut it. Connecting business systems and building reliable automated reporting requires mid-to-senior experience at minimum. Here's what that actually costs:

Mid-to-Senior Data Engineer

Base Salary$110,000 – $150,000
Benefits + Payroll Taxes$24,500 – $48,500
Equipment, Tools, Recruiting$21,000 – $35,000
All-In Year 1 Cost$155,500 – $233,500
Monthly Equivalent$13,000 – $19,500

Beyond cost, hiring presents real challenges

Screening

How do you evaluate candidates when you don't know what good looks like?

Training & Direction

Who teaches them your systems? Who reviews their work and catches mistakes?

Retention

A solo data engineer with no team or growth path will leave within 12–18 months.

Continuity Risk

When they leave, their knowledge walks out the door. You start over from scratch.

Performance Visibility

If work is slow or poor quality, how would you know? Without technical oversight, it's hard to tell if they're performing or just staying busy.

The Alternative: Fractional Support

Instead of negotiating project-by-project or committing to a full-time salary, fractional support gives you predictable monthly access to senior expertise.

Predictable Cost

Flat monthly fee. No surprise invoices, no scope creep conversations. Spreads cost over time instead of large project spikes.

Proactive, Not Reactive

We look for ways to improve your business, not wait to be approached with projects. Continuous improvement is built in.

Covers Everything

Maintenance, improvements, new builds, troubleshooting. One relationship handles all your data needs.

Flexible Terms

Month-to-month. Either party can end with 30 days notice. No long-term lock-in.

Accessible

Regular communication with typically same-day or next business day responses. You're not waiting in a queue.

Clear Boundaries

Larger initiatives outside normal support get scoped separately. No ambiguity about what's included.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Full-Time Hire
Fractional
Monthly Cost
$13,000 – $19,500+
Starts under $5K
Hours
160+ hrs (often idle)
~30 hrs (focused)
Time to Productivity
2–3 months
Immediate
Management Required
Yes
No
Risk
High (bad hire, turnover)
Low (proven track record)
Predictability
Salary + surprises
Flat monthly, no surprises
Commitment
Long-term
Month-to-month

The Bottom Line

Fractional data engineering gives you consistent access to senior expertise — someone who can build your systems and keep them running and improving. No recruiting, no management overhead, no surprises.

If a full-time hire made sense for your stage, you'd hear that from us. As your data maturity grows, we can revisit whether in-house makes sense. Until then, fractional support is often the smarter path forward.

Ready to get started?

Book a free call to discuss your data challenges and see if fractional support is the right fit.

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