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Managed IT vs. in-house IT: which fits your business?
An honest comparison of cost, coverage and expertise for 10 to 100 person teams
Hiring your own IT person feels like control. Outsourcing to a managed IT provider feels like coverage. The right answer depends on your size, your systems and how much risk you're comfortable carrying. Here's how the two really compare, with real numbers.
$ compare --in-house --managed
> 1 person vs. a whole team
$ coverage --vacation
> in-house: gap. managed: covered
✓ or blend both with co-managed IT
The short answer: it depends. The long answer is below.
Side by side
The quick comparison.
> one hire
In-house IT
- Salary, benefits, payroll taxes, training and tools
- One person's skills, however good they are
- Coverage gaps for vacations, sick days and turnover
- Deep knowledge of your office and people
- Hiring and retaining talent in a tight market
> a whole team
Managed IT
- One predictable monthly fee per user
- A team with security, cloud, network and help desk skills
- Monitoring, patching and backups handled on a schedule
- Documentation that stays with your business
- Scales up or down as you hire
The math
Run the numbers.
Let's talk numbers
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for network and computer systems administrators at $99,130 (May 2025). That's before benefits, payroll taxes, training, software tools and the time it takes to recruit.
Managed IT from Golden Hills IT typically runs $130 to $230 per user, per month. For a 15-person office, that's about $1,950 to $3,450 a month, or roughly $23,400 to $41,400 a year, for a full team instead of one person.
Want your own estimate? Try the managed IT pricing calculator.
Finding your fit
Which one is right for you?
> in-house
When in-house IT makes sense
- You have 100+ employees and constant on-site requests.
- You run custom systems that need a full-time owner.
- You can afford a team, not just one person, so coverage never depends on one calendar.
> managed
When managed IT makes sense
- You have roughly 10 to 75 employees.
- You want security, backups and help desk covered without hiring.
- You'd rather have one predictable number than surprise costs.
> both
When co-managed IT makes sense
- You already have an IT person who's stretched thin.
- You want backup for security, projects or after-hours support.
- Learn more about co-managed IT.
FAQ
Common questions.
Keep reading
Is managed IT cheaper than hiring an IT person?
For most teams under about 75 people, yes. One in-house hire costs a median $99,130 a year in wages alone (BLS, May 2025), while managed IT for a 15-person office runs about $23,400 to $41,400 a year with a whole team behind it.
Can I keep my IT person and still use a managed provider?
Absolutely. That's called co-managed IT. Your IT person stays the go-to for your team while we handle monitoring, security, patching and projects in the background.
What happens when my in-house IT person is on vacation?
That's the coverage gap most businesses feel first. With managed IT, a team monitors your systems and answers the help desk every business day, no matter who's out.
Will a managed IT provider understand my business?
A good one will. We start every relationship by documenting your systems, your people and how you actually work, so support feels personal, not generic.
Who is Golden Hills IT?
Golden Hills IT is a managed IT provider headquartered in Tehachapi, California, serving Bakersfield, Kern County and businesses nationwide since 2020.
$ schedule --call --15min
Get a straight answer for your business.
Book a 15-minute call. We'll look at your setup and tell you honestly which option makes sense, even if it isn't us.