In this paper we address the compressible Navier–Stokes equations written in the so-called conservative formulation. In particular, we focus on the possibility of uncoupling the computation of the problem unknowns, namely, density, linear momentum and total energy, a technique usually labeled as fractional step method, which allows to reduce the associated computational cost. The proposed methodology is a finite-element solver supplemented with a stabilization technique within the Variational Multi-Scale framework. In this regard, we consider orthogonal and dynamic definitions for the subscales. This discretization in space shows an adequate stability, permitting in particular the use of equal interpolation for all variables in play. However, we complement it with a shock-capturing operator in order to solve problems involving shocks. Several representative benchmark flow simulations are performed, which demonstrate the suitability of the proposed algorithm for a vast range of regimes.