Businesses considering hiring a marketing employee on staff instead of working with an external agency, who want to compare real costs, not just gross salary.
In Spain, the real cost of an employee runs well above their gross salary: the employer's social security contribution adds roughly 30% more, before counting tools, training, or the time it takes them to become productive. That math changes the comparison quite a bit from how it looks at first glance.
Written and verified by Cristian Romero, founder of SeoClaro — 10+ years of SEO experience.
What's included
The real cost of a hire
Salary, social security, tools, training: the real cost is quite a bit higher than the gross salary.
One person vs a team
An in-house employee covers what they know how to do; an agency brings different profiles depending on what you need at any given time.
Flexibility to scale
With an agency you can adjust the service level by season; with a fixed employee, not as much.
When an in-house hire pays off
Large businesses with constant need and enough volume can justify having marketing fully in-house.
Frequently asked questions
How much more does an employee cost above gross salary?
In Spain, the employer's social security contribution adds roughly 30% on top of the gross salary, before counting tools, training, or initial ramp-up time.
Can one in-house person cover all of SEO?
They can cover what they know how to do, but SEO combines technical work, content, and analysis: covering all three well with one person is uncommon.
When does a fully in-house hire pay off?
When the workload is constant and large enough to justify full-time dedication, which is more common in large businesses than in small ones.
Can I combine an in-house employee with an external agency?
Yes, it's a common combination: the in-house person handles day-to-day work and client relations, while the agency provides the more specialized technical and strategic work.
How we work
Real cost analysis of each option
We compare the total cost, not just the gross salary.
What needs constant coverage
We identify which tasks require permanent dedication.
What needs occasional coverage
We see what can be solved without a fixed person.
A recommendation based on your volume and budget
We give you an honest recommendation for your specific case.
An employee's gross salary is only part of the real cost. Before deciding, you need to compare the total cost of each option with what you'll actually need each month.
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