How Much Does a Security Audit Cost in Texas? [2025 Pricing Guide]

If you're shopping for a security audit in Texas, you've probably gotten quotes ranging from $500 to $50,000. Maybe more. And you're wondering what the hell justifies that spread.

Fair question. Let me break down what actually determines security audit pricing, what you should expect at different price points, and how to avoid getting ripped off.

The Short Answer: It Depends on Scope

I know that's annoying, but it's true. "Security audit" is a broad term that covers everything from a basic vulnerability scan to a month-long penetration test with a team of specialists.

Think of it like asking "How much does a car cost?" Well, are we talking about a used Honda Civic or a new Tesla? Both are cars. Both get you where you're going. But they're very different investments.

Security audits work the same way. Let's break down the typical tiers.

What Drives the Cost?

Security audit pricing isn't arbitrary. Here's what you're actually paying for:

Expertise Level

An entry-level security analyst fresh out of college will charge less than someone with 25 years of experience and advanced certifications. But the quality of analysis is completely different.

Junior analysts run tools and report findings. Senior professionals understand the business context, identify subtle misconfigurations tools miss, and provide strategic recommendations based on decades of real-world experience.

You can hire someone cheap. But if they miss a critical vulnerability because they don't know what to look for beyond what the scanner reports, you didn't save money—you wasted it.

Scope and Complexity

Assessing a small business with five workstations and a web server takes hours. Assessing a multi-location company with 100 employees, custom applications, cloud infrastructure, and medical devices takes weeks.

More systems to test means more time. More complexity means higher expertise required. Both drive cost up.

Manual vs. Automated Testing

Automated vulnerability scanners cost $100-$500 per year. You could buy one yourself and run it monthly.

What you're paying a professional for is the manual work: verifying false positives, identifying vulnerabilities scanners miss, understanding the business context, prioritizing findings based on actual risk, and providing specific remediation guidance.

The difference between a $500 audit and a $5,000 audit is usually the amount of manual expert analysis involved.

Deliverable Quality

Some providers give you raw scanner output with 200 pages of technical jargon and no clear action plan.

Professional assessments provide:

• Executive summary explaining business risk in plain language
• Prioritized findings (what to fix first)
• Specific, actionable remediation steps
• Evidence and screenshots of vulnerabilities
• Follow-up consultation to review findings

You're paying for clear communication and actionable results, not just data dumps.

Follow-Up and Support

Cheaper audits often deliver a report and disappear. More comprehensive engagements include:

• Detailed review calls to explain findings
• Assistance prioritizing remediation efforts
• Re-testing after fixes are implemented
• Ongoing consultation during remediation

This support has real value if you're actually trying to improve your security posture.

What You Should Actually Pay (And Why)

Here's my honest assessment of what different Texas businesses should budget for security audits:

Small Business (1-10 Employees)

Reasonable range: $500 - $2,500

Unless you're handling extremely sensitive data, you don't need a $25,000 penetration test. A focused external security assessment covering your internet-facing systems, email security, and basic network hygiene is appropriate.

Look for providers who offer flat-fee pricing with clear deliverables. You want someone who'll actually explain findings in language you understand, not bury you in technical reports.

Growing Business (10-50 Employees)

Reasonable range: $2,000 - $8,000

At this size, you likely have more complex infrastructure: cloud services, remote workers, maybe multiple locations. You need more comprehensive assessment.

Look for providers with relevant certifications (CISSP, CEH, OSCP, or CCIE for network-focused assessments) and experience with businesses your size. Ask about their methodology and what's included in the deliverable.

Mid-Size Business (50-200 Employees)

Reasonable range: $8,000 - $25,000

You're likely dealing with compliance requirements, custom applications, significant data assets. You need thorough assessment, possibly including penetration testing.

Look for firms with multiple specialists. You want someone who can test web applications, assess network security, and understand your industry's specific compliance requirements.

Enterprise (200+ Employees)

Reasonable range: $25,000 - $100,000+

At enterprise scale, you need comprehensive security programs, not just one-off audits. This includes red team exercises, application security testing, wireless assessments, physical security reviews.

You're looking for established firms with proven track records, insurance, and teams of certified specialists.

Industry-Specific Considerations

Healthcare (HIPAA Compliance)

Medical and dental practices need security assessments that specifically address HIPAA Security Rule requirements. Budget $1,500 - $5,000 for a HIPAA-focused audit that includes documented risk analysis.

This isn't optional—HIPAA requires regular security assessments. The cost of an audit is nothing compared to breach notification expenses or OCR penalties.

Financial Services

Banks, credit unions, investment firms face strict regulatory requirements. Expect to pay $10,000 - $50,000+ for comprehensive assessments that meet regulatory expectations.

You need penetration testing, not just vulnerability scanning. Regulators expect you to actively test your defenses.

Legal Practices

Law firms have ethical obligations to protect client confidentiality. A focused security audit covering client portals, email security, and document storage should run $1,500 - $4,000.

State bar associations increasingly expect documented security measures. An audit provides evidence you're meeting these obligations.

Retail and E-Commerce

If you process credit cards, PCI-DSS compliance requires annual security testing. Budget $3,000 - $15,000 depending on transaction volume and complexity.

Non-compliance can result in losing your ability to accept credit cards, not just fines.

Red Flags: When You're Being Overcharged

Watch out for these warning signs:

Vague Scope

If the provider can't clearly explain what they're testing and what you're getting, walk away. Professional audits have defined scope, methodology, and deliverables.

Hourly Billing with No Cap

Unless you're enterprise-scale, security audits should have fixed pricing or at minimum, a not-to-exceed cap. Unbounded hourly billing creates perverse incentives.

Excessive Upselling

Be wary of providers who immediately recommend $50,000 worth of services before they've even assessed your environment. Start with appropriate scope, then expand if needed.

No Credentials or Experience

Security certifications aren't everything, but they matter. CISSP, CEH, OSCP, GIAC certifications, or vendor-specific expertise (like CCIE for network security) indicate serious professional investment.

Ask about their experience with businesses similar to yours. If they can't provide relevant examples, keep looking.

Red Flags: When You're Being Undercharged

Sometimes cheap isn't a bargain. Warning signs of inadequate assessments:

Unrealistically Low Pricing

If someone offers comprehensive penetration testing for $500, they're either running automated scans and calling it pen testing, or they're inexperienced and undervaluing their time.

Either way, you're not getting what you think you're paying for.

Same-Day Turnaround

Professional security assessments take time. If someone promises a comprehensive audit delivered same-day, they're not doing manual analysis—they're running a scanner and forwarding the output.

No Follow-Up or Consultation

If the engagement ends with emailing you a report, you're getting commodity scanning, not professional assessment. Good audits include discussion of findings and recommendations.

What I Charge (And Why)

Let me be transparent about my pricing since that's what this post is about.

I charge $600 flat fee for external security audits for Austin-area small businesses. Here's what that includes:

• 15-minute scoping consultation to understand your environment
• Comprehensive external vulnerability assessment using enterprise-grade tools
• Manual verification and analysis of findings
• Web server security review (SSL/TLS configuration, headers, vulnerabilities)
• Email security configuration assessment (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
• 5-page professional report with prioritized findings
• Specific, actionable remediation steps
• 15-minute follow-up consultation to review findings
• 24-hour turnaround from information gathering to delivery

Why $600? Because that's what I can deliver quality work for at that scope. I'm doing 4-5 hours of actual technical work plus report writing and consultation. At my professional rate, that's what it costs.

I could charge more and deliver the same thing—some Austin firms charge $2,000-3,000 for similar scope. I could charge less by cutting corners—just running scanners without analysis.

But $600 reflects fair value for professional expertise at defined scope. You're getting CCIE-level network security analysis, not entry-level automated scanning.

What I Don't Include at $600

To be clear about limitations:

• Internal network assessment (requires on-site or VPN access)
• Web application penetration testing beyond basic scanning
• Social engineering or phishing simulations
• Wireless network assessment
• Physical security review
• Code review or custom application testing

Those services exist, but they're different scope requiring different pricing. If you need comprehensive penetration testing, expect to invest $8,000-15,000. If you need full security program review, we're talking $20,000+.

I'm upfront about this because scope creep is how pricing gets fuzzy. Know what you're buying.

How to Get the Most Value from Your Security Audit

Regardless of what you spend, maximize ROI by:

Being Clear About Your Goals

Are you checking a compliance box? Preparing for customer audit? Actually trying to improve security? Tell your assessor. Different goals require different approaches.

Preparing Information in Advance

Have documentation ready: network diagrams, list of internet-facing systems, existing security controls. This lets the assessor spend time analyzing instead of gathering basic information.

Actually Implementing Recommendations

An audit is worthless if you file the report and do nothing. Prioritize the critical and high-severity findings. Fix them. That's the whole point.

Asking Questions

Don't understand a finding? Ask for clarification. Good assessors want you to understand and act on their recommendations, not just collect a fee.

Scheduling Follow-Up Testing

After you remediate findings, have the assessor re-test to verify fixes worked. Many providers include limited re-testing in the original engagement.

The Real Question: What's It Worth to You?

Here's how I think about security audit pricing.

The average data breach costs small businesses $149,000 according to IBM's research. That's direct costs—forensics, notification, credit monitoring, legal fees. It doesn't include lost business, reputation damage, or the weeks you'll spend dealing with the aftermath instead of running your company.

A $1,500 security audit that identifies and helps you fix vulnerabilities before they're exploited? That's not an expense. That's insurance that actually prevents the loss instead of just paying out after it happens.

The question isn't "can I afford a security audit?" The question is "can I afford not to?"

For Austin-area businesses, the threat is real. We're a major tech hub with growing companies handling valuable data. Attackers know this. They're scanning constantly, looking for easy targets.

Don't be the easy target.