A level-1 IT technician costs about $67,000 a year in Montréal and about $69,000 in Toronto once employer contributions are added, before tools and training. According to the estimates IT firms publish in their articles, managed IT services cost $75 to $175 per user per month in Québec, and $99 to $250 in the Toronto area. For a 25-employee SMB, the difference often runs into tens of thousands of dollars.
What an in-house technician really costs
1. Salary. According to Robert Half projections, a level-1 support technician earns $51,500 to $67,000 in Montréal (average about $60,200), and $54,500 to $71,000 in Toronto (average about $63,700). A systems administrator earns $78,800 to $117,600 in Montréal, and $83,400 to $124,500 in Toronto.
2. Employer contributions in 2026. On top of salary, the employer pays:
| 2026 contribution | Québec | Ontario |
|---|---|---|
| Pension plan (QPP in Québec, CPP in Ontario) | 6.30% | 5.95% |
| Employment Insurance | 1.82% | 2.28% |
| Parental insurance (QPIP) | 0.602% | included in EI |
| Health tax (HSF in Québec, EHT in Ontario) | 1.65% | 0% under $1M payroll, 1.95% above |
| Workplace insurance (CNESST, WSIB) | about 1.54% | 0.18% to 1.23% depending on sector |
| Labour standards | 0.06% | none |
| Approximate total | about 12% | about 8% to 10% |
For a technician at the market average, that comes to about $67,400 a year in Montréal and about $69,000 in Toronto. Elsewhere in Canada, CPP and Employment Insurance are the same as in Ontario; only the provincial health tax and workplace insurance vary.
3. Hidden costs.
- Absences. About 20 days a year are paid but not worked in Québec (vacation, 8 statutory holidays, 2 paid absence days), and 19 in Ontario (vacation and 9 public holidays), plus 3 unpaid sick days. During that time, nobody manages your IT.
- Replacement. According to Gallup, replacing an employee costs one-half to two times their annual salary, in recruitment and lost productivity.
- Tools. Monitoring, backup, endpoint protection and licences: your technician needs them, and you pay for them.
- The limits of one person. A level-1 technician is rarely also an expert in cybersecurity, servers and cloud.
What managed IT services cost
Most IT firms do not post their prices. In their articles, they estimate that full management costs $75 to $175 per user per month in Québec, and $99 to $250 in the Toronto area. These are their estimates, not their rates, and there is no independent market study. A plan usually includes monitoring, support, updates, backup, Microsoft 365 management and employee onboarding and offboarding.
The math for a 25-employee SMB
| Option (estimated annual cost) | Québec | Ontario |
|---|---|---|
| In-house level-1 technician (salary + contributions, no tools) | about $67,400 | about $69,000 |
| Managed services, low end of published estimates | $22,500 ($75/month) | $29,700 ($99/month) |
| Managed services, high end of published estimates | $52,500 ($175/month) | $75,000 ($250/month) |
| UpSystems, 360 Management plan ($75, unlimited support included) | $22,500 | $22,500 |
| UpSystems, Active Monitoring plan ($50) + support at $139.99/h | $15,000 + hours | $15,000 + hours |
With the 360 Management plan, it would take about 75 users to reach the cost of a single level-1 technician, in Québec as in Ontario.
When an in-house technician makes sense
To be fair, in-house is sometimes the right choice.
- You have complex in-house systems or on-site equipment (plant, warehouse) that need a daily presence.
- You have more than about 150 employees and need a full-time IT manager.
- In these cases, a hybrid model works well: your employee handles day-to-day work, and a provider handles monitoring, security and projects.
A tip from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: a managed service provider has privileged access to your systems. Require multi-factor authentication, log retention, return of your data at the end of the contract and service commitments in the contract.
The UpSystems advantage
- Published prices among the lowest in the market. Essential $25, Active Monitoring $50, 360 Management $75 per user per month, shown on our website.
- No surprise invoices. Unlimited support is included in 360 Management. On the other plans, the $139.99 hourly rate is known in advance.
- A team, not one person. Level 1 to 3 technicians, with no gap during vacations.
- Across Canada. Management and support are delivered remotely, in Québec and Ontario alike.
- Measured after every ticket. A 4.6 out of 5 satisfaction score from the survey sent after every closed request.
- 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
Book a 30-minute call: we run the numbers with yours. See our managed services plans.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an IT technician cost in Canada?
For level 1, about $51,500 to $67,000 in salary in Montréal and $54,500 to $71,000 in Toronto, plus about 12% in employer contributions in Québec and 8% to 10% in Ontario.
How much do managed IT services cost per user?
Generally $75 to $175 per month in Québec and $99 to $250 in the Toronto area. At UpSystems, $25 to $75, anywhere in Canada.
At how many employees should you hire an IT person?
There is no official threshold. Against the 360 Management plan, an in-house technician becomes competitive around 75 users, but one person covers neither vacations nor every area of expertise.
What is co-managed IT?
Your IT employee handles day-to-day work and a provider manages monitoring, security and projects.