How much does IT support cost in Spokane?

You’re paying for coverage and risk, not just for someone to fix computers.

• A basic plan covers the help desk, updates and monitoring during business hours.
• Higher tiers add stronger security, backup and after-hours or 24/7 support.
• Compliance work, projects and new equipment usually sit outside the monthly fee.

Most IT companies here charge a flat monthly fee per user. A user is usually one employee, with their computer, phone and accounts covered. Some firms price per device instead, and a few bill by the hour or sell prepaid blocks of support time.

Only one of the seven Spokane IT companies we reviewed publishes its prices. With the rest, you’ll need a consultation before you see a number, so it helps to know the going rates first.

Listed alphabetically. These are prices each firm publishes or that third-party directories show, not quotes.

Here’s what a 25-person office would spend in a year at three price points taken from local figures:

• Basic plan at $65 per user: about $19,500 a year
• Mid-range plan at $140 per user: about $42,000 a year
• Top end at $200 per user, with 24/7 security monitoring and compliance support: about $60,000 a year

Compare that with hiring. A network and systems administrator in the Spokane area earns an average of $93,060 a year, and a help desk specialist $64,400, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2023). Benefits and payroll taxes come on top. At $140 per user, a managed plan doesn’t reach one administrator’s salary until about 55 users, and it buys a team rather than one person.

• Round-the-clock support. Three of the seven firms claim a 24/7 help desk. The rest work business hours, with after-hours help on request or on top plans.
• Advanced security. 24/7 managed detection and response, a security operations center and penetration testing. Three firms have dedicated pages for these, and a fourth mentions them.
• Compliance. Help with HIPAA, PCI, CMMC or SOC 2, which most firms price separately.
• On-site work. Regular visits or staff based in your office cost more than remote support.
• Servers and older equipment. An office that runs its own servers or ageing hardware takes more work to look after.

Set money aside for these on top of the plan:

• New laptops and network gear, which most offices replace every three to five years
• Projects such as cloud migrations or office moves, often billed at $50 to $199 an hour
• Security add-ons and compliance work, usually priced separately
• Software licenses such as Microsoft 365, unless the plan includes them

For what the monthly fee does cover, see what a Spokane IT company actually does.

1. Count the same way. Give every firm the same number of users and devices, so the per-user prices actually line up.
2. Check the hours. Ask which hours the price covers, what after-hours help costs and how fast they respond. Only two of the seven firms publish a response-time number, so get it in writing.
3. See a sample invoice. It shows what’s included far better than a sales page does.
4. Read the exit terms. Three of the seven firms offer month-to-month or no long-term contracts. Whatever the length, ask how much notice you must give and how you get your passwords and data back if you leave.

For the questions to ask beyond price, see how to choose an IT company in Spokane.

Budget about $65 to $200 per user a month for fully managed IT in Spokane, plus hardware, projects and licenses. The headline price matters less than what it covers, so compare quotes line by line before you sign.