As small and midsize businesses (SMBs) face growing demands for digital efficiency, cybersecurity, and scalability, access to expert IT leadership can be a major differentiator. Yet, hiring a full-time IT team with the depth and experience needed to meet modern challenges is often financially unattainable. Here we layout the annual economic value of a three-person IT team—a seasoned IT Infrastructure Manager, Senior Business Analyst, and DevOps Engineer—and explains how contracting this expertise can offer both a strategic advantage and significant cost savings.
What This Team Brings to the Table: IT Infrastructure Manager Designs and maintains the foundational systems—networks, servers, virtualization, cloud platforms—that power daily operations. They reduce downtime, harden security, and manage business continuity planning. Senior Business Analyst Aligns technology with business goals by analyzing workflows, gathering requirements, and ensuring every IT initiative delivers measurable value. DevOps Engineer Automates deployments, streamlines infrastructure, and enables continuous integration and delivery, making IT more agile and scalable. Together, this team helps SMBs modernize, reduce risk, improve performance, and make smarter technology investments.
Cost of Full-Time Employment
Role Avg. Salary (DFW Market) Fully Burdened Cost (Salary + 25–30% Benefits)
IT Infrastructure Manager $130,000 ~$170,000
Senior Business Analyst $115,000 ~$150,000
DevOps Engineer $125,000 ~$165,000
Total $370,000 ~$485,000 per year
For many SMBs, nearly half a million dollars annually for IT leadership is unsustainable—primarily if full-time roles aren’t fully utilized.
The Contract Advantage
By contracting this team as needed—whether for ongoing fractional support or project-based engagements—businesses can expect to spend between $1,000 per year for expert advice and $5,000 monthly for active projects or managed services. That’s a savings of over $425,000 per year compared to full-time employment, with no compromise on expertise.
Access to this level of IT leadership without the overhead allows SMBs to:
• Reduce IT incidents and downtime
• Improve cybersecurity and compliance posture • Streamline operations through automation
• Get faster ROI from digital projects
• Scale infrastructure without hiring additional staff
Final Takeaway
Hiring a full-time IT leadership team may be out of reach for many SMBs, but the value they provide is too great to ignore. Contracting a focused, experienced trio—an Infrastructure Manager, Business Analyst, and DevOps Engineer—offers the strategic guidance of a large enterprise IT department at a fraction of the cost. For SMBs ready to grow, modernize, and compete, this model is not just practical—it’s essential.