Benchmark data on hiring timelines, executive recruiter fees, offer acceptance, first-year cost, and executive turnover across the C-suite.
Median CFO time-to-hire
128 days
Median search fee (CFO)
$95k
First-year cost (CFO)
$829k
2-year exec turnover
22%
Executive Summary
Hiring a C-suite executive is the most expensive single decision a growth-stage company makes. The full loaded cost of a CFO hire — including search fees, cash compensation, equity, benefits, and the cost of vacancy — averages $829,000 in the first year. For a CRO, $912,000. For a CEO, $1.4 million. [1]
This report benchmarks the six most-hired executive roles — CEO, COO, CFO, CTO, CMO, CRO — across four dimensions: time-to-hire, first-year cost, ramp time, and two-year retention. Data is drawn from 1,140 executive hires at US companies between Series A and pre-IPO. [2]
The intent of this publication is not to argue against executive hiring. It is to give founders, CEOs, and boards a defensible reference for what these decisions cost, how long they take, and how often they fail — so those decisions can be made with clear expectations rather than optimistic assumptions.
Section 01
Key Finding
Median time to fill a C-suite role at a US growth-stage company is 118 days. The CFO role runs longest at 128 days.
Evidence · Median measured from search kickoff (retained or internal) to signed offer, across 1,140 hires between 2023 and 2025.
Implication · Any planning horizon that assumes a C-suite hire will be seated in under four months is understating the timeline. For roles with an urgent operational need, a fractional or interim path should be evaluated in parallel.
Figure · Bar chart
days from search kickoff to signed offer
Source · STANDARD Research, 2026 (n=1,140). [2]
Section 02
Retained executive search remains the dominant model for C-suite hires above the seed stage. Fees are structured as a percentage of first-year cash compensation, typically billed in three installments across the search. Standard replacement guarantees run 6 to 12 months. [3]
| Role | Median fee % | Median fee $ | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEO | 33% | $165,000 | 12 months |
| CFO | 31% | $96,100 | 12 months |
| CRO | 30% | $84,000 | 6 months |
| CTO | 30% | $87,000 | 6 months |
| COO | 30% | $81,000 | 6 months |
| CMO | 28% | $63,000 | 6 months |
Section 03
Figure · Bar chart
USD, thousands
Source · STANDARD Research, 2026. Includes cash, bonus, equity fair value, search fee, benefits load, and estimated cost of vacancy. [1] [3]
Section 04
Key Finding
22% of C-suite hires depart within 24 months. CRO turnover is highest at 31%. CFO turnover is 21%.
Evidence · Cohort tracking of 1,140 hires made between 2022 and 2024. Departure defined as executive exit for any reason within 24 months of start date.
Implication · One in five executive hires must be replaced within two years. The full loaded cost of a failed hire — search fee, vacancy, ramp loss, and re-hire — averages 1.8x the original first-year cost.
Figure · Column chart
% of hires exiting within 24 months
Source · STANDARD Research, 2026 (n=1,140). [2]
Section 05
Ramp time — the interval between an executive's start date and their delivering at full effectiveness — is the least discussed but most consequential cost in executive hiring. During ramp, the executive draws full compensation while operating at partial output. [4]
Ramp time varies materially by function. Roles with a large existing team and defined operating cadence (CFO, COO) ramp faster than roles that require inventing an operating model (CMO in an early-stage company, CRO at first go-to-market build).
| Role | Median ramp | Cost of ramp (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| CFO | 4.2 months | $108,000 |
| COO | 4.6 months | $115,000 |
| CTO | 5.1 months | $137,000 |
| CRO | 6.4 months | $194,000 |
| CMO | 5.8 months | $150,000 |
| CEO (external) | 7.2 months | $425,000 |
Methodology
Data sources
Sample size
1,140 US executive hires, 2022–2025
Collection period
October 2025 – February 2026
Limitations
Definitions
FAQs
Citations