PEO stands for “professional employer organization.”
It’s a service that handles routine company tasks, mainly in HR. They include things like running payroll, managing benefits, and filling paperwork.
A PEO saves you from having to do all of this yourself. Every business needs one, you’ll save a ton of time and money.
Whether you’re interested in hiring a PEO service for the first time, or looking to switch providers, we’ve reviewed all the top PEO options. We also have some tools below to help you to help you find the best option in your location.
Compare the Best PEO Companies
There are 957 PEO companies in the USA! Find out which one is the best match for your specific needs. Enter your zip code below to begin.
Benefits Of Using A PEO
There are plenty of reasons why you should use a PEO. Here are 10 benefits now:
- Businesses that use a PEO are 60% more likely to succeed.
- Your employees received more/better benefits.
- You save money on your insurance.
- Your HR software is centralized into one solution.
- You’ll receive HR service and support whenever you need it.
- Eliminate the need for admin and paperwork – a PEO manages all the paperwork for all employees.
- Reduce employee turnover and keep employees happy.
- Access better health, IRA, 401k plans, etc.
- Improve your recruiting efforts – hiring, training, handbooks, interviews, etc. can all be handled by the PEO
- Ensure compliance with all state and federal regulations – laws are changing constantly, and as a business owner, you don’t have the time to deal with and keep up-to-date on each. The PEO’s job is to advise you on those changes, especially in higher regulation states like New York, California, Illinois and Texas, where there is a larger % of PEO clients because of the increased regulations.
Your People Are Your Most Important Asset
PEOs offer a wide variety of services. Each company that offers one is unique too. So the one you ultimately choose is up to you.
However, there are a few things that all PEOs should do, and you should avoid any that don’t at least provide these services:
What Your PEO Should Do The Following At a Minimum
- Payroll – Getting your employees paid on-time using state-of-the-art tech is one of the most basic services a PEO can provide.
- Benefits – This includes providing health benefits, including vision, life insurance, dental insurance, disability insurance (both long- and short-term), 401k plans, accident insurance coverage, and much more. A good PEO will allow you to offer your employees lots of options.
- HR Outsourcing – Older PEO’s generally have a more seasoned team that can really assist with HR related issues, helping you reduce a lot of the time your staff spends dealing with whatever problems emerge.
- Administrative Support – Handling all the mail from each state and governing body is one of the major benefits of a PEO.
- ESAC and IRS accredited. PEO’s that have both these accreditation are generally seen as better and more qualified.
- A dedicated account manager. One point of contact should be able to provide personalized assistance to your business and employees.
- Licensed benefit professionals to provide assistance. Your employees will have access to licensed benefits professionals in order to ensure they choose the right benefits package.
- Online enrollment – If your PEO doesn’t offer this, it means more paperwork for you, which is no fun.
- Workers Compensation Insurance – Every PEO should be able to provide you with workers comp insurance.
- Compliance and regulation assistance. Your PEO should manage and inform you of all legislative changes relating to OSHA, ADA, EPA, ADEA, etc., and help you navigate these changes with ease.
- Safety training programs. A good PEO should be able to provide a variety of safety training programs and audits to your business, both online and on-site at your business (or in the field), as required.
Some PEO services are industry-specific, while others are intended for businesses of a certain size.
Compare the Best PEO Companies
There are 957 PEO companies in the USA! Find out which one is the best match for your specific needs. Enter your zip code below to begin.
Why There Is No One Size Fits All PEO
Unlike other B2B solutions where it is a commodity and most services are quite similar, this is not the case for PEOs. The factor that makes the biggest difference is the insurance. For example, there is a large PEO in Utah that has 50% market share but that only works in Utah because of their health insurance provider plan; it isn’t competitive as a PEO outside of Utah. That is why a lot of PEO’s stay regional and don’t go national, and even national PEOs are stronger in some states then others.
The second factor about why there is no one size fits all PEO is your industry. For example, if you are a staffing company, there are dedicated PEOs that only do staffing. If you were a tech company, you wouldn’t want to use a staffing PEO because you would pay three times more for your benefits and there could be a considerable knowledge gap.
PEO Mistakes To Avoid
Below is a list of negotiation items and things you want to avoid when choosing a PEO.
- Make sure the benefits being offered by the PEO match where your employees are based.
- Choose a PEO that is equipped to handle the needs of your company, i.e. if you’re a big company, hire a PEO that has the resources to deal with what you deal with.
- Keep an eye out for hidden fees & pricing. The best PEO’s use a flat admin fee per employee versus a % of payroll. In the long run, it’s more cost effective to select a PEO that uses this model.
- Avoid applying a short-term mindset. Companies typically stay with a PEO for an average of 6 years, so it’s important to take the time to analyze multiple quotes and find the right solution for the long-term
Complete our survey below to discover what is the best PEO match for you:
Compare the Best PEO Companies
There are 957 PEO companies in the USA! Find out which one is the best match for your specific needs. Enter your zip code below to begin.
PEO Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a PEO cost? PEO’s cost between $1,000 and $1,800 per employee per year, depending on the size of your company – companies over 100 employees will be at the lower end of the range and smaller companies will be at the higher.
Remember that using a PEO reduces your insurance cost dramatically so sometimes you actually end up saving money even though you might be paying more per employee as compared to what your payroll service charges.
Are there setup fees? Most PEO’s charge between $1,000 and $10,000 as setup fees.
Can I get started right away? If you sign a contract today, you can be onboarded in 1-3 weeks depending on company size
As the owner of the company, can I also get benefits for my family and me? 100% you will get access to all the plans and benefits available to everyone in your organization.
Does the PEO own my employees? When you enter in a co-employment relationship with the PEO, you will sit under a joint EIN. This doesn’t affect anything other then tax submissions. The PEO will not “own” your employees and you are free to do business as if you weren’t using PEO.
What are the best benefits for a startup? The best benefits for your startup are in streamlining health insurance, as what you can offer depends heavily on what’s available in the state in which you operate.
For example, the largest health insurance providers in New York are United Health Care, Blue Cross, Oxford and Aetna, so these will be your options for employees living in New York. However, if you have employees in other states, they may have other choices.
Navigating this, and making sure you’re spending your money as wisely as possible, can be a major headache. A good PEO will help you figure this all out and choose the right plan/plans for you, which will allow you to focus other tasks that are going to contribute more to the growth of your startup.
9 Best PEO Service Providers
There are countless PEO services available on the market today. Some PEO services are industry-specific, while others are intended for businesses of a certain size.
Finding the best PEO provider for your business can be challenging if you don’t have any guidance.
I want to help. That’s why I’ve broken down the nine best PEO service providers. Read about them below. I’ll cover the features, benefits, costs, as well as any drawbacks.
Amplify PEO
- Full-service PEO solutions
- Save money each year
- Cloud-based platform
- 24/7 HR Portal
Amplify offers a full-service PEO solution.
They offer a roster of features and services you’d expect from the best HR solutions out there including:
- Payroll solutions
- Benefits options
- HR management
- On-boarding
- Compliance
- Time and labor
Their services helps save companies $1,185 per employee each year. Think about that. If your company is 25 employees, that’s nearly $30,000 a year saved. If your company is 100 employees, that’s $118,500 saved.
I really like Amplify because they’re more human than a lot of other PEO providers. And I mean that literally. Any and all HR issues are directed to an actual person rather than an automated call center.
So whether you’re looking for benefits solutions, payroll solutions, or retirement solutions, Amplify has you covered.
Pricing is obscured on their website but you can request a quote for free.
ADP TotalSource
- Full-service PEO solutions
- Web dashboard & mobile app
- 401(k) plans
- Top notch customer service
ADP is an industry leader in human resources software. They provide their services to businesses of all shapes and sizes.
ADP also offers TotalSource, their full-service PEO solution.
This is a great ption for small to medium-sized business owners. Whether you have 1-49 employees, 50-999 employees, or 1,000+ members on your team, ADP has a plan for you.
ADP TotalSource is used for human resources, talent management, payroll, employee benefits, and risk assessment.
As a small business owner, you can use ADP to provide enterprise-grade medical, dental, and vision care to your employees. Furthermore, ADP also offers 401(k) plans.
The technology used by ADP is the biggest standout of this PEO provider. Everything from HR to payroll, benefits, and recruiting can be accessed and managed through a mobile app or easy to use web dashboard.
But arguably the best feature of ADP is the customer service.
Naturally, your employees will have questions. Whether it be about their pay, benefits, or something else that would fall into the HR category. Rather than bothering you with those questions, your staff can simply contact an ADP representative directly.
ADP’s knowledgeable and friendly staff will guide your employees in the right direction to answer any questions or help them pick a plan that fits their needs.
I like ADP because they also have industry-specific solutions for businesses in the following categories:
- Restaurant and hospitality
- Manufacturing
- Healthcare
- Construction
- Government and education
- Nonprofit
- Professional and technical services
- Financial services
ADP provides PEO services and technology in over 140 countries worldwide.
The only potential downside of using ADP TotalSource is the company’s size. Since ADP is so large, it’s possible that your small business could feel like it’s getting lost in the shuffle.
Insperity
- Full-service HR solution
- Customized pricing
- Pick from individual services
- Excellent customer service
Insperity has been around for 30+ years. They provide full HR solutions for small businesses as well as enterprises with up to 5,000 employees.
Since being founded in 1986, they racked up a long list of awards, accreditation’s, achievements, and glowing reviews from their customers.
Insperity’s full-service HR solution includes:
- Employee benefits
- HR administration
- Payroll
- Risk management
- Compliance
- Talent management
- Tech services
And don’t worry if you don’t need a full-service solution. Their individual solutions are also great.
While they the needs of businesses with 150-5,000 employees, I’d recommend their services to small and medium-sized business owners with less than 150 employees.
You’ll also have access to the iOS and Android mobile apps to monitor and manage your business on the go. It’s a great option for those of you who enjoy leveraging the latest technology to streamline your processes.
Although the company is big, they still provide excellent customer service and know how to work with small business owners.
Another top feature of Insperity is its flexibility. Unlike other PEO providers on the market, Insperity won’t lock you into a long-term contract. You can cancel at any time, as long as you give them 30 day’s notice.
Insperity does not list prices for their services online. You’ll need to speak with their customer service sales team to get a custom quote.
A potential drawback of using Insperity for PEO services is that their health plan options are limited. Unlike other providers, Insperity only offers health plans from a single health insurance provider. So if your company wants to give your employees multiple options for healthcare, you should look elsewhere on our list. But this usually isn’t a problem for small business owners.
Paychex
- Full service or individual plans
- Pricing based on # of employees
- Dedicated HR manager support
- Used by 670,000+ companies
While Paychex is best known for its online payroll services, they are also a full-service PEO provider.
One of the biggest standouts of Paychex is the way that they provide PEO services. Your business will get a dedicated HR professional. In some cases, this dedicated HR manager can even be on-site at your office.
By working directly with your employees, Paychex takes HR outsourcing to the next level. Since Paychex works so closely with your company, it makes it easier for them to assess workplace risks and address key areas of liability.
These are some of the top features and benefits of using Paychex as your PEO provider:
- Insurance plans
- Attendance
- Employee benefit accounts (HSA, FSA, HRA)
- 401(k) plans
- Payroll administration
- Unemployment insurance
Like other PEO providers, Paychex also offers individual services if you don’t need a full-service plan. You can search for solutions by task, business size, or role. Paychex even offers outsourced office management services.
From paperless hiring and onboarding to issuing payroll, Paychex does it all.
The only negative thing I can find about Paychex is that the interface is a bit outdated and not as user-friendly compared to options like ADP TotalSource.
The price for Paychex PEO services is based on the number of employees you have.
Justworks
- Basic and Plus plans
- Easy to scale as you grow
- Wide range of services
- 24/7 customer support
Justworks is a full-service PEO provider offering payroll, human resources, compliance, and employee benefits under a single umbrella package.
The company launched in 2012 but has quickly grown in both size and popularity over the last few years. They went from 40 employees in 2015 to 300 in 2018. Today, Justworks has more than 600 employees and relationships with major companies like United Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, and ClassPass.
In addition to employee benefits like health, vision, and dental insurance, Justworks also provides a wide range of compliance services. They handle W-2 and 1099 filings, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation.
Justworks has an automated payroll system for direct deposit, paying vendors and contractors, and integration with your business accounting software like Quickbooks and Xero.
Another benefit of Justworks is that they can accommodate the needs for businesses of all sizes. So if you start working with them now, they can scale with you as your company grows.
Here’s an overview of their plans and pricing based company size:
Basic — Payroll, HR Tools, Benefits, and Compliance
- Less than 25 employees — $49 per month per employee
- 25-99 — $44 per month per employee
- 100-174 — $39 per month per employee
- 175+ — Custom pricing
Plus — Access to Medical, Dental, and Vision
- Less than 25 employees — $99 per month per employee
- 25-99 — $89 per month per employee
- 100-174 — $79 per month per employee
- 175+ — Custom pricing
You can save 15% on all plans when you sign up for an annual contract.
I like Justworks because they give you so many options. You’re not forced to take the health insurance package, but it’s available if you want it. If you’re just starting out and new to working with PEO service providers, you could always start with the Basic plan and upgrade to Plus when you’re ready.
Justworks offers 24/7 customer support. The company is modern and still growing at a rapid rate, so I expect them to continue providing excellent service in the future.
The only real downside of Justworks is their lack of experience. There are other PEO service providers who have been in business for decades.
Visit JustWorks to learn more.
Oasis Outsourcing
- Owned by Paychex
- Great service for startups
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Originally founded in 1996
Oasis Outsourcing was originally founded in 1996. The company was recently acquired by Paychex in 2018, although Oasis still operates under its own name.
PEO services provided by Oasis Outsourcing include:
- Human resources
- Employee benefits
- Risk management
- Payroll
- Technology solutions
Oasis can help your small business get great deals on healthcare by bundling your plan with other clients. They’ll help you set up employee retirement plans as well.
Like other providers on our list, Oasis has some industry-specific solutions.
- Banking
- Architecture
- Hotels
- Education
- Restaurants
- Retail
- Private equity
- Legal
- Property management
- Financial services
I’d recommend Oasis to startup companies because they are versatile, but smaller than some of the other choices out there. Oasis can give startups the special attention that they need, even with just a handful of employees.
While some PEO providers allow for month-to-month commitments, Oasis will force you into a one-year contract. So for those of you who don’t want to get locked in, this won’t be the best option for you.
With that said, Oasis does offer a 90-day money-back guarantee window. So you’ll have some time to change your mind if you’re not satisfied in the first few months.
VensureHR
- Full-service PEO solutions
- 4 billion+ in annual payroll processing
- 250,000+ employees served
- Great for small businesses!
VensureHR helps you simplify your HR processes by offering a full range of PEO solutions.
Founded in 2004, they’ve since helped process more than 4 billion in annual payroll processing. With more than 250,000 employees served, you can bet that they’ll have solutions to help your company too.
Their services include:
- Payroll administration
- Benefits solutions
- Risk management
- Workers’ comp
- HR solutions
While their services are robust enough for companies of many different industries and sizes, they’re focused on helping small businesses manage their HR solutions.
That means if you’re a small business owner, you can focus on pulling the levers that boost growth instead.
Pricing is obscured on their website, but you can request a quote at anytime by filling out a form.
TriNet
- In business for over 30 years
- Strong attention to detail
- Niche-specific solutions
- Over 16,000 clients!
TriNet is one of the oldest and most experienced PEO service providers in the industry. After launching in 1988, the company has been serving businesses for more than 30 years.
As of today, they are currently working with over 16,000 clients and roughly 332,000 employees.
The PEO services provided by TriNet are similar to some of the others in the industry. They offer niche-specific solutions for:
- HR consulting
- Benefit options
- Payroll
- Risk mitigation
- Technology
TriNet stands out as one of the best PEO providers because of their service and attention to detail. Their team will be on standby for your employees.
Whether it’s during the hiring process, onboarding, or just day-to-day questions about their benefits or employee status, TriNet is there for all of those needs.
TriNet does not try to appeal to larger organizations. In fact, services are segmented by employee size into these three categories:
- 5-19 employees
- 20-99 employees
- 100+ employees
I’d recommend TriNet to those of you who fall on the lower end of this scale. A company with 500 or 1,000+ employees should look elsewhere.
TriNet offers a wide range of employee health benefit options through insurance companies like United Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, Aflac, Aetna, and MetLife.
TriNet also has partnerships with big brands to offer small businesses and employees marketplace discounts. Some of those brands include Verizon, AT&T, Hyatt, and Avis.
Infiniti HR
- Pick & choose what you need
- HR, payroll, benefits, etc.
- Also specializes in recruitment
- In business for over 10 years
While some providers force you to bundle all PEO services in one package, Infiniti HR allows you to pick and choose which ones you need.
Do you only need an outsourced human resources department, but not payroll? No problem. Infiniti HR can set you up with that.
In addition to the traditional PEO services that we’ve seen so far (HR, payroll, risk management, employee benefits, etc.), Infiniti HR also specializes in recruitment. This PEO provider will help get top-level talent to your team.
Another standout for Infiniti HR is the type of businesses that they serve. They work with lots of franchise organizations like Supercuts, Best Western, and Massage Envy.
Whether you own one franchise location or multiple franchises across the country, Infiniti HR will be a top choice for you to consider.
Infiniti HR has been in business for just over ten years. They are still growing and improving their services on what seems like a daily basis.
The Infiniti HR mobile app is expected to be released by the end of 2021. This technology improvement will definitely make their services more appealing.
How to Find the Best PEO Service Providers
There are 957 PEO companies in the USA! Find out which one is the best match for your specific needs. Enter your zip code below to begin.
There is quite a bit of information that must be taken into consideration when you’re evaluating a PEO service provider. Since so many companies seem to offer similar services, choosing the best fit for your business can be a challenge.
I’ll take you through the methodology that we used to come up with this guide. You can use these features as well during your search process.
Pricing
The first thing you should look at is the price of the PEO solutions. This will make it easier for you to eliminate options that might be out of your price range.
Unfortunately, not every PEO provider includes prices on their website. Since so much about this industry is customized, you’ll need to speak with a sales representative to get a quote.
But if you’re looking for a provider with transparent prices, Justworks will be a top option for you to consider.
Employee Benefits
While a PEO provider is supposed to reduce costs make your life easier as a business owner, it should also have a positive impact on your employees.
Things like retirement plans, health insurance, dental, and vision offered by a PEO will be appealing to your staff. Not only will this keep your employees happy, but it will also help you hire top-level talent.
Some PEO providers work with just one health insurance company, while others provide a wide range of options. So if diverse plans from varying providers is important to you, then make sure you find a PEO solution that can accommodate those needs.
Employee Self-Service
The best PEO providers offer technology for employee self-service. Whether it’s an app or web portal, your staff can access crucial information related to their pay, employee status, or benefits.
If the self-service options are not sufficient, you want to make sure that your PEO provider will be available to answer any questions via phone, email, or live chat for your employees.
Your staff should be able to do this without having to go directly through you to speak to an outsourced HR representative.
Business Size and Industry
A startup with five employees and a franchise with 2,000 employees across 50 locations will not be in the market for the same PEO service provider. Look for you providers that work with companies similar to the size of your business.
Furthermore, some PEO providers specialize in certain industries. Ideally, you want to work with a provider who understands your industry, whenever possible.
Conclusion
What’s the best PEO service provider?
The answer depends on a wide range of factors. Not every business is looking for the same thing in a PEO solution. Some businesses want a full-service PEO package, while others just want an outsourced HR representative. Find out which one is the best match for your specific needs. Enter your zip code below to begin.
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