The Hidden Costs of Hiring an Internal Marketing Team Nobody Tells You About
The Salary Illusion
It happens all the time.
A business owner looks at their budget and thinks, “Instead of paying an agency $5,000 a month, I’ll just hire one person internally. One salary has to be cheaper, right?”
On paper, it looks smart. A $60K salary sounds way better than a $60K agency retainer.
But here’s what nobody tells you: salary is just the down payment.
The real costs show up later (and they hit harder than you think).
The Myth of the “Cheaper Hire”
Let’s break it down.
Now, I want to start with this… I get it because I've been there!
Hiring internally feels safer.
They’re in your office (or at least on your payroll).
You feel like you have more control.
And the number in the job offer ($55K, $60K, $70K) seems like a bargain compared to outsourcing.
But that’s the trap. That's the illusion.
Because you’re not hiring one marketer. You’re hiring overhead. And overhead multiplies.
Here’s where the hidden costs pile up that nobody puts in the job posting.
Hidden Cost #1: Salary + Benefits + Overhead
That $60K salary? It doesn’t stop there.
Benefits, payroll taxes, insurance, PTO, equipment, office space… they all stack. The real cost of a $60K employee is closer to $75K–$80K.
And that’s if you’re hiring one person. One generalist who (you're hoping) can handle all the things when it comes to small business marketing.
The moment you realize you actually need more than one skill set (more on that in a minute), your payroll balloons. And, building even a “lean” internal marketing team (content manager, email campaign coordinator, paid media specialist, and potentially a video editor) can run you $300,000+ annually once you factor in salaries and overhead.
That “one salary” you budgeted for just ballooned before they even sat down at their desk.
Hidden Cost #2: Limited Skill Set = More Hires
This one stings.
(I'll give you a second to take that breath…. ok…. keep reading)
We alluded to this above, but no single marketer is world-class at everything. Your $60K hire might be a decent copywriter, but they’re probably not also an expert in paid ads, SEO, design, video editing, and strategy.
So what happens? You start stacking. A freelancer here. A part-time designer there. Maybe even another full-time hire to cover gaps. Suddenly your “one salary solution” looks a lot like a payroll problem.
Agencies? We you access to 5–7 specialties for the price of one retainer. Writers, ad managers, SEO pros, designers, strategists, video editors, and a marketing coach. All included.
Hidden Cost #3: Tools and Tech
Every marketer needs tools.
CRMs, email marketing platforms, SEO software, design programs, analytics dashboards. Agencies bake the cost of these tools into their retainer. Internal hires? You foot the bill.
And it’s not pocket change.
Marketing Platform (like Hubspot or GoHighLevel): $500+/month
Adobe Creative Suite: $70/month
SEMrush: $120/month
Zapier and automation tools (just keep adding)
Project management software like ClickUp or Monday (tack another $100 or so)
By the time you’re done, expect another $1,500–$3,000 per month in tech spend.
Sometimes, the bill for the tools hits harder than the salary.
Hidden Cost #4: Training and Ramp-Up Time
Here’s the one nobody talks about.
Your new hire doesn’t come pre-trained on your business. They need time to learn your market, your offers, your customers, your systems.
And during that time, they’re making mistakes. Wasting ad spend. Writing content that doesn’t resonate. Testing ideas that may or may not work.
In fact, the average time-to-productivity for a new marketing hire is 6–8 months. That means for most of the first year, you’re paying for school, not performance.
With the right agency as your marketing team? We've already done it a hundred times (and more), and we're plugging in and running.
Hidden Cost #5: Turnover
And finally, the one hidden cost that truly hurts the most…
Nobody stays forever.
The average tenure for a marketing role is about 18-24 months (and shorter if they are younger). By the time they’re fully trained and producing, they’re already eyeing the next opportunity.
And when they leave, you’re back to square one. Recruiting. Hiring. Training. Paying another six months of ramp-up.
Worse, they often walk with the playbook. All the processes, campaigns, and data they built leave with them.
Agencies bring continuity. People may change, but the system doesn’t walk out the door.
When they leave, they don’t just take their salary, they take your system with them.
The Final Tally vs. Agency
So let’s add it up.
Internal hire: $75K–$120K all-in for one or two skill sets, plus $1,500–$3,000 per month in tools, plus turnover risk.
Internal team: $300K+ for a lean crew that still won’t cover every specialty.
Agency: $5K–$7K/month for a full team of specialists, tools included, with proven systems.
You’re not comparing salary to retainer. You’re comparing payroll to performance.
It’s not “agency vs salary.” It’s “agency vs expenses.”
The Cost of Ignoring the Hidden Costs
If you think you’re saving money by hiring internally without seeing the full picture, you’re fooling yourself.
You’re burning cash on overhead that doesn’t scale.
You’re spending more time managing than leading.
And while you’re stuck in the weeds, your competitors with systems are scaling.
And let’s be blunt: you didn’t start a business to become the head of HR for a marketing department.
Salary is just the down payment. The real costs come after.
Buy Growth, Not Overhead
Here’s the bottom line.
You can spend $75K–$300K on payroll, benefits, tools, training, and turnover. Or you can spend a fraction of that on an agency that brings a full team, proven systems, and the ability to scale without the HR headaches.
Agencies don’t just save money. They save time. They save risk. They save opportunity cost.
Don’t buy overhead. Buy outcomes.
Book your strategy call → See how to get a full marketing team without the payroll headache.
