Embedded Fractional Marketing Team vs. Full-Time Staff: The Full Loaded Cost, Broken Down

The real cost of a full-time senior marketing hire in Ireland runs 20 to 35% above the quoted base salary once employer PRSI, recruitment fees, and statutory obligations are added, before benefits or equity enter the picture at all. A €200,000 base salary commitment typically carries a true first-year cost closer to €250,000 to €270,000, and that gap almost never appears in the comparisons founders run when weighing a full-time hire against an embedded fractional team.

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Most "fractional vs full-time" comparisons stop at base salary because it's the cleanest number to compare against a monthly retainer. That comparison quietly favors the full-time option, because base salary is only the floor of what a full-time hire actually costs an employer in Ireland. Recruitment fees, statutory employer contributions, and the legal exposure that comes with permanent employment all sit on top of that number, and none of them apply to a fractional or embedded engagement.

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TL;DR: A full-time senior marketing hire's real first-year cost includes base salary, employer PRSI (generally 8.8% to 11.05% depending on salary band), recruitment agency fees (typically 15 to 25% of first-year salary if an agency is used), and any signing bonus or relocation cost. On a €200,000 base salary, that pushes the true first-year cost to roughly €250,000 to €280,000 before benefits, equity, or the cost of a bad hire are counted at all. An embedded fractional retainer carries none of these add-on costs, since there's no employer relationship to fund.

The Full Loaded Cost, Line by Line

Compare the actual cost stack, not just the headline salary figure, before deciding a full-time hire is the cheaper option.

Add employer PRSI and a recruitment fee to a €200,000 base salary, and the true first-year commitment lands somewhere between €250,000 and €280,000, well before benefits or equity get added, and well before the hire has produced a single campaign.

Why the Comparison Usually Stops at Base Salary

Most cost comparisons cite a single number, "€150,000 to €300,000," because it's the easiest figure to find and quote. That number is genuinely accurate as a base salary range, and genuinely misleading as a total cost figure, because it excludes every employer-side cost that only exists in a permanent employment relationship. This is a related but distinct problem from the cost of getting a marketing hire wrong, which covers what happens after a bad hire; this article covers what a hire costs before anyone knows whether it was the right one.

What a Worked Example Actually Looks Like

Run the numbers on a realistic mid-range hire to see how quickly the add-on costs accumulate.

That's a 31% premium over the base salary figure most comparisons use, and it hasn't touched pension contributions, health insurance, or the ramp-up period where the hire is still learning the role.

Why None of This Applies to a Fractional or Embedded Engagement

A fractional or embedded arrangement isn't an employment relationship, so employer PRSI, statutory benefits, and recruitment fees genuinely don't apply. This isn't a loophole; it's a structural difference in what's being purchased. The embedded marketing model buys senior execution time scoped to a specific engagement, not a permanent employment contract with all the obligations that come attached to one.

That distinction matters for budgeting specifically: a fractional retainer's monthly cost is close to its true cost, while a full-time salary's headline number is reliably an understatement of what the role will actually cost across a full year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is employer PRSI, and how much does it add to a full-time hire's cost?

Employer PRSI is Ireland's mandatory social insurance contribution, generally falling between 8.8% and 11.05% of gross salary depending on the salary band. On a €180,000 salary, that's an additional cost of roughly €16,000 to €20,000 a year that doesn't appear in the base salary figure.

Do all full-time hires involve a recruitment fee?

Not if the hire comes through referrals or a direct search. When a recruitment agency is used for a senior marketing role, fees of 15 to 25% of first-year salary are common, which on a €180,000 role adds €27,000 to €45,000 to the true first-year cost.

Why doesn't a fractional or embedded retainer carry these same costs?

Because it's not an employment relationship. Employer PRSI, statutory benefits, and recruitment fees are specific to hiring an employee under Irish employment law; a fractional engagement is a services contract, which doesn't trigger the same statutory employer obligations.

Is the full loaded cost the only reason to consider a fractional model instead of a full-time hire?

No, cost is one factor among several, including speed to start, flexibility to scale up or down, and access to a broader range of senior expertise than one hire typically brings. The full loaded cost matters most as a corrective to comparisons that only cite base salary, which understates what a full-time hire actually costs by a meaningful margin.

See the Real Comparison for Your Own Numbers

Before deciding between a full-time hire and an embedded fractional team, run the full loaded cost on your specific salary range, not just the headline number. purple path's retainers reflect the true cost of the engagement upfront, with no hidden employer-side costs layered on afterward. Talk to purple path and compare the real numbers side by side.

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This article provides general information on typical costs and is not tax or legal advice. Employer PRSI rates and recruitment costs vary by circumstance; confirm current rates with Revenue and a qualified advisor before budgeting.