Offshore cybersecurity cost UK: what a security team really costs in 2026

By TalentDock Editorial Team · Updated 27 September 2026 · 7 min read

Quick answer

With TalentDock, offshore security analysts and SOC analysts start at £1,695 a month and engineers, testers and specialists at £2,295, all-in. The same roles cost roughly £4,840 to £7,235 a month to employ in the UK at 2026 median salaries, before recruitment and equipment. A three-person starter security team costs from about £6,285 a month offshore against roughly £17,150 in the UK.

Per role

Cost per role: UK vs offshore

Monthly cost per person, 2026
Role	UK employer cost at median*	TalentDock from	Difference
Cyber security analyst	£4,840	£1,695	65%
SOC analyst	£5,125	£1,695	67%
DevSecOps engineer	£5,990	£2,295	62%
Penetration tester	£6,275	£2,295	63%
Cyber security engineer	£6,325	£2,295	64%
Cloud security engineer	£7,235	£2,295	68%
Security architect	£8,195	Quoted	-

*Median advertised salary (IT Jobs Watch, six months to 26 September 2026) plus 15% employer NICs above £5,000 and minimum auto-enrolment pension. Real UK cost is higher once recruitment fees, equipment, training and office space are added. Senior and lead offshore specialists are quoted individually.

Team budgets

Example team budgets

Monthly budget by team type
Team	Roles	TalentDock from	UK at median*
Starter security team	Security engineer, analyst, DevSecOps engineer	£6,285	£17,155
Product security team	AppSec, cloud security, GRC analyst	£6,285	£19,790
24/7 SOC seat	Five SOC analysts (lead extra)	£8,475	£25,625

Product security UK figure uses the £75,000 median for ads citing application security and a £55,000 security analyst median for the GRC analyst. Design your own team with the cost calculator or see dedicated cybersecurity teams.

What's included

What the monthly fee covers, and what it does not

Included

Recruitment and assessment, employment, payroll, benefits, managed laptop, secure workspace, HR, performance support and replacement cover.

Not included

Your security tools and licences (SIEM, EDR, scanners), cloud costs, paid certifications you request and accredited third-party tests.

Compare

How this compares with an MSSP

Managed security providers usually price per endpoint, user or data volume, and the fee includes their platform. A dedicated team is priced per person and works in your tools. For small estates needing only 24/7 alerting, an MSSP can be cheaper; once you need engineering, tuning, compliance work or deep knowledge of your systems, dedicated people usually give more for the money. Read MSSP vs dedicated security team.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to outsource cyber security?

From £1,695 a month per analyst and £2,295 per engineer with a dedicated offshore model; managed services price by endpoint or user.

How much does a 24/7 SOC cost?

A single 24/7 seat needs at least five analysts: from £8,475 a month offshore versus about £25,600 a month for five UK analysts at the median salary.

Are security tools included?

No. You keep and pay for your own security tools; the fee covers the people.

Is there a recruitment fee?

No. Recruitment and replacement are included in the monthly fee.

How much can we save?

Typically 60-70% against the UK employer cost of the same role at median salary.

Sources and further reading

IT Jobs Watch UK permanent job-advert salaries, six months to 26 September 2026; HMRC employer NICs; The Pensions Regulator qualifying earnings; TalentDock pricing, September 2026.

Keep reading

Related guides

Cyber security salary UK

Every role.

Offshore SOC team

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Dedicated cybersecurity team

Team designs.

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Tell us the role, hours and tools. We send a vetted shortlist, then employ, equip and manage your hire. One all-in monthly fee from £1,195, no recruitment fee.