Get better IT coverage, more expertise, and save 50-70% with managed IT services. Keep your startup funding for growth, not overhead.
Most startups only calculate base salary. Here's what a full-time IT hire actually costs in Boulder.
$65,000 - $80,000
Limited experience, basic support skills
$80,000 - $100,000
3-5 years experience, network & security skills
$100,000 - $130,000
Cloud, security, and compliance expertise
Reality Check: Boulder's tech market is competitive. Quality IT talent commands premium salaries, and you're competing with major tech companies for talent.
Additional Cost: $25K-$35K/year
First Year: $15K-$30K extra
Annual Cost: $10K-$15K
$115,000 - $210,000
And that's for ONE person with LIMITED expertise
See how much your Boulder startup can save by choosing managed IT services.
Every factor that matters to Boulder startups
| Factor | Managed IT Services | Full-Time IT Hire |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Cost | $6,000 - $48,000 Based on your needs, scale as you grow |
$115,000 - $210,000 Salary + benefits + recruiting + overhead |
| Annual Ongoing Cost | $12,000 - $72,000 Predictable monthly cost |
$100,000 - $180,000 Salary + benefits + equipment + training |
| Time to Deploy | 3-5 business days Immediate IT support |
3-6 months Recruiting + hiring + onboarding + training |
| Expertise Breadth | Full IT team Cloud, security, networking, DevOps, compliance specialists |
Single person Generalist with limited specialized knowledge |
| Coverage | Business hours + after-hours emergency Team coverage, no gaps |
40 hours/week No coverage during vacation, sick days, or if they quit |
| Response Time | Critical: 1-2 hours Standard: 4-8 hours Team always available |
Depends on availability Could be hours or days if busy/out |
| Scalability | Instant scaling Add/remove services monthly, no hassle |
Very limited Must hire additional staff as you grow |
| Risk of Turnover | Zero risk Managed service continues regardless |
High risk Average IT job tenure: 2-3 years, then start recruiting again |
| Technology Expertise | Always current Team stays updated on latest tech |
Depends on person May need training budget |
| Security & Compliance | Enterprise-grade SOC 2, HIPAA, security specialists on team |
Limited Generalist may lack security expertise |
| Management Overhead | Zero We manage our team |
5-10 hours/month Performance reviews, goal setting, HR issues |
| Contract Flexibility | Month-to-month Cancel anytime, no penalties |
Employment commitment Layoffs are expensive and complicated |
| Perfect For | Startups & growing businesses Pre-launch through Series B+ |
Large enterprises 100+ employees with stable needs |
Managed IT services win on cost, expertise, speed, and flexibility. Unless you have 100+ employees and stable IT needs, hiring full-time IT staff wastes precious startup funding.
See How Much You Can SaveHow Boulder companies made the smart choice
Situation: Pre-Series A startup building B2B software. Considered hiring IT admin at $85K.
Decision: Chose managed IT services at $2,000/month ($24K/year)
First-Year Savings: $106,000
Used savings to hire another developer
Result: Better IT coverage than one person could provide, plus they got a full IT team's expertise in cloud, security, and compliance for enterprise sales.
Situation: Needed HIPAA-compliant infrastructure. Job offer: $95K for IT admin.
Decision: Chose managed healthcare IT at $3,500/month ($42K/year)
First-Year Savings: $93,000
Avoided 4-month hiring delay
Result: Immediate HIPAA compliance expertise, passed enterprise security reviews, closed major healthcare customer in month 3.
Situation: Bootstrapped, couldn't afford $85K IT hire but needed professional IT support.
Decision: Started with fractional IT at $1,500/month ($18K/year)
First-Year Savings: $117,000
Critical funding for product & marketing
Result: Professional IT infrastructure from day one, scaled services as company grew to 20 employees, never needed to hire.
Situation: Needed cloud infrastructure expertise. Senior hire would cost $115K+.
Decision: Managed IT + fractional CTO services at $4,500/month ($54K/year)
First-Year Savings: $106,000
Plus strategic tech leadership
Result: Optimized cloud costs by 60%, built scalable ML pipeline, got technology strategy guidance for Series A pitch.
Pattern: Boulder startups that choose managed IT save $90K-$120K in year one and get better IT results.
See Startup IT ServicesThere's a right time - but it's later than you think.
You don't need a full-time IT person until you have 75-100+ employees with stable, predictable IT needs. Before that, managed IT services give you better results for less money.
Even when you do hire, many Boulder companies use a hybrid model:
Best of both worlds: On-site presence + expert team + no coverage gaps
A complete IT department for the price of one junior hire
Not just one person - get access to cloud architects, security specialists, network engineers, and helpdesk technicians.
Your systems are watched around the clock. Issues get caught and fixed before they impact your business.
Critical issues: 1-2 hour response. Standard issues: 4-8 hours. Always someone available to help.
Technology roadmap planning, vendor selection, architecture design - get fractional CTO expertise included.
SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR expertise. Pass enterprise security reviews and audits with confidence.
Growing from 5 to 50 employees? We scale with you instantly. No recruiting, no training, no delays.
Save $50K-$100K+ in year one and get better IT coverage with our managed services.
Get a custom cost comparison and discover your savings potential.
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Supporting Boulder Startups