Security Operations Cost Calculator
Compare the true cost of in-house SOC, outsourced MSSP, and hybrid security operations. Model staffing, tooling, and coverage costs for your organization size and maturity target.
Security Operations Cost Calculator
Estimate and compare in-house SOC, outsourced MSSP, and hybrid security operations costs for your organization.
Endpoints, servers, cloud accounts, network devices
Build vs Outsource: Key Decision Factors
Cost is one factor. These operational dimensions often drive the decision more than budget alone.
Choose In-House When
- *Your data cannot leave your environment (classified, PII, trade secrets)
- *You operate critical infrastructure with bespoke response requirements
- *You have 5,000+ employees and economy of scale justifies the overhead
- *You need deep environment context for fast escalation
- *Regulatory requirements mandate internal SOC
Choose MSSP When
- *You are under 500 employees and cannot justify a full team
- *24x7 coverage is required but hiring 6 analysts is unaffordable
- *You lack time or capability to recruit and retain security talent
- *You need rapid deployment without building from scratch
- *Cost predictability is more important than cost minimization
Choose Hybrid When
- *You are 500-5,000 employees - the mid-market sweet spot
- *You want internal expertise for complex cases but MSSP for tier-1
- *After-hours coverage is needed without a full night shift team
- *You want to build internal capability over 2-3 years while being covered
- *You need flexibility to scale coverage up or down quickly
Security Operations Cost FAQ
What does it cost to build an in-house SOC?
Building an in-house SOC typically costs $500,000 to $3 million in year one for a mid-size organization. The largest component is staffing: a 24x7 SOC requires 5-6 analysts per coverage position (allowing for shifts, vacation, and sick leave), with US analyst salaries ranging from $85,000 to $140,000 plus 25-30% benefits. Tooling (SIEM, SOAR, threat intelligence) adds $150,000 to $500,000 annually. Physical facility and management overhead rounds out the budget.
How much does an MSSP cost?
MSSP pricing typically runs $150 to $650 per managed device or data source per month, depending on coverage hours and service scope. A mid-size organization with 30 data sources under 24x7 monitoring commonly pays $60,000 to $250,000 per year. Flat-rate MSSP contracts for small organizations start around $3,000 to $8,000 per month. Custom enterprise agreements for large organizations are negotiated case-by-case.
Is it cheaper to build an in-house SOC or outsource to an MSSP?
For organizations under 500 employees, MSSP outsourcing is almost always cheaper due to economies of scale. For organizations over 5,000 employees with 24x7 requirements, in-house becomes more cost-competitive because the fixed-cost staffing is spread across more assets. The crossover point is typically around 1,000-2,500 employees. Hybrid models often achieve the best cost-effectiveness for mid-market organizations.
What is a hybrid SOC model?
A hybrid SOC combines an internal security team for tier-2 and tier-3 analysis, threat hunting, and context-sensitive investigations with an MSSP handling tier-1 alert triage, after-hours coverage, and initial incident qualification. The internal team provides environmental knowledge and handles complex cases; the MSSP provides 24x7 coverage at lower cost than hiring a full shift team. This model is increasingly common for organizations with 500-5,000 employees.
How many SOC analysts do I need?
For 24x7 coverage with adequate overlap and leave allowance, plan 5-6 analysts per monitoring seat. An 8x5 business-hours SOC can operate with 2-3 analysts. Intermediate coverage (12x7) typically requires 4 analysts. Add 1-2 senior analysts or threat hunters for an intermediate maturity program, and 2-3 for an advanced program with proactive hunting and intel operations. Small organizations often find that 1-2 internal analysts plus MSSP coverage for off-hours is the practical minimum.
What tools does a SOC need and what do they cost?
Core SOC tooling includes: SIEM ($30,000 - $500,000+/year depending on volume), SOAR platform ($50,000 - $200,000/year), EDR/XDR ($20 - $50 per endpoint/year), vulnerability management ($10,000 - $100,000/year), threat intelligence ($10,000 - $80,000/year), and ticketing/case management ($5,000 - $30,000/year). Total tooling for a mid-size SOC runs $250,000 to $800,000 annually before staffing.