An in-house IT employee costs between €72,000 and €90,000/year in Belgium. External IT management costs between €6,600 and €10,680/year for 10 users. The math seems obvious — and yet many SMEs still make the wrong choice.
We will be honest with you.
When an SME leader tells us « we are going to hire someone internally to manage our IT », we do not immediately contradict them. The intention is good. But in 80% of cases, the calculation that follows is wrong.
Not because these leaders are bad managers. But because they are rarely shown the true total cost. Here is what we actually see in the field, in Belgium, in 2026.
The real cost of an in-house IT employee in Belgium
A junior IT profile in Brussels or Mechelen? Count between €2,800 and €3,500 net/month. What that really represents for your business:
In-house IT employee
minimum per year — junior profile
NexK IT management
per year — Basic plan 10 users
📊 Employer cost breakdown
- Salaire brut : 4.500 € – 5.500 €/mois
- Charges patronales (~27%) : +1.200 € – 1.500 €/mois
- Matériel, licences, formations : +2.000 € – 4.000 €/an
- Leave, sick days, notice periods: real and unpredictable hidden costs
Real annual cost: between €72,000 and €90,000 — for a single junior profile, who will never master everything.
And that is the real problem. This profile does not know everything. They might be good at Windows, but less comfortable with Linux. Good at networking, but less at cybersecurity. Nobody masters everything in IT — and that is normal.
What IT management actually brings you
L’infogérance, ce n’est pas « quelqu’un qui répare votre PC quand ça plante ». C’est un partenaire technique qui connaît votre infrastructure, anticipe les problèmes et intervient avant que vous ne le ressentiez.
Here is what we concretely do for our SME clients at NexK IT:
- Real-time monitoring of your servers, workstations and network
- Automatic backups verified daily
- Updates and security patches without interrupting your business
- User support — your team calls us, we answer
- On-site interventions when needed
- Monthly reporting so you know the exact state of your IT
- Access to a multi-skilled team: Linux, VoIP, network, cloud
The numbers side by side
| Criterion | In-house IT employee | NexK IT management |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost (10 users) | 72.000 € – 90.000 € | 6.600 € – 10.680 € |
| Available skills | 1 profile, 1-2 specialties | Multi-skilled team |
| Leave / sick days | Your problem | Our problem |
| Scalability | Hiring = several months | Immediate adjustment |
| Commitment | Permanent contract = legal risk | No long-term commitment |
| Initial audit | At your cost | Free and no commitment |
« Mais on perd le contrôle de notre IT »
It is the most frequent fear. And we completely understand it.
The short answer: non. You retain control over your data, your systems and your strategic decisions. We are a service provider, not an owner of your infrastructure.
What you actually lose is the mental load of managing IT daily. And as an SME leader, it is time and energy recovered for your core business.
When IT management is NOT the right solution
We prefer to be transparent: external IT management is not suitable for everyone. If you have very sector-specific IT needs — ultra-complex business software, on-site critical infrastructure with strict regulatory constraints — a dedicated internal profile can make sense. In this case, we can still support you as a complement.
But for a Belgian SME of 5 to 50 people that wants stable, secure and cost-predictable IT — IT management is almost always the best option.
Where to start?
We always start with an audit. Not to sell you something immediately. But to understand your real situation: what works, what is fragile, what represents a risk.
30 to 45 minutes. No commitment. And you leave with a clear view of your current IT infrastructure — whether we work together or not.
🔍 Free IT audit for your SME
Our experts analyze your infrastructure and offer concrete recommendations — no commitment, response within 24h.