10 Best PEO Companies (In 2021)

A professional employer organization (PEO) is an HR outsourcing company.

Managing the daily HR tasks of admin, payroll and benefits is not fun. Better to outsource that to a PEO.

Plus not only will you save time you will also save money on your insurance costs.

If you are looking to use a PEO for the first time or are looking to switch providers. We've analyzed the top 200 PEO's in the country and determined the top 10. We also have developed a special tool that will help you find the best PEO based on your Zip code.

What Is A PEO?

Professional Employer Organizations, or PEOs, are companies that provide HR, payroll, benefits and additional solutions to businesses of all sizes, including small and medium ones.

They effectively function as an extension of their client’s in-house team, forming partnerships via a co-employment model.

As the PEO company works with many other companies, the PEO can collectively bargain with all their clients’ employees combined, allowing them to help startups and small businesses access corporate-level HR benefits.

PEO services include but not limited to:

• Payroll processing
• Benefits analysis and administration
• Resource consulting
• Insurance plan assessment
• Training and development, including programs related to workplace safety

According to The National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO), companies that use PEOs report:

• 10-14% lower employee turnover
• 7-9% faster growth
• 50% lower likelihood to go out of business

According to NAPEO, there are nearly 1,000 PEO companies in the US, and over 175,000 businesses using their services.

What Can You Outsource To A PEO Company?

Some of the most popular PEO services include:

• Payroll management: Your PEO company should ensure that your employees are paid on time.
• Benefits consulting and administration: They should provide various insurance and retirement options, including medical, dental, life insurance, 401K, and more.
• Compliance: They should inform you and help you remain compliant with all legislative changes and regulations, including Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the EPA, and more.
• Risk management: Your PEO can help you resolve workers’ compensation issues and related claims. They can also help you create new policies and conduct training to ensure that your employees are as safe as possible and follow best practices over the course of their workday.

How Much Do PEO Services Cost?

PEO companies typically operate by one of two pricing models:

• A fixed, per-employee rate
• A rate that is based on a percentage of your payroll

The fixed, per-employee rates vary, ranging from about $50 per month to over $150 per month. This would set your business back up to $1,800 per employee per year.

As for the payroll percentage, the industry average spans from as low as 4 percent to over 10 percent of total payroll per month, though this can still vary on the extremes and be dependent on the size of your company.

10+ Best PEO Service Providers In 2021

Whether you are looking locally, nationally or internationally, finding the right fit for your business is vital, and you can use this list to help you.

Alternatively, fill out the form for personalized recommendations of the top-rated professional employer organization companies.

1. CoAdvantage PEO

Founded in 1990, CoAdvantage has become one of the best-known names in the businesses. The company supports over 4,500 clients and over 90,000 worksite employees across 50 states.

Among their standout services are administration, risk and compliance associated with payroll, tax filings, healthcare and ancillary benefits, and workers compensation.

Basically, if you are looking for basic services done right, CoAdvantage has you covered.

Company size: 400+ employees

Location: Tampa, FL

Services:

• Payroll
• Benefits
• Risk management and compliance
• HR technology

2. Amplify

Amplify HR is an end-to-end HR management solution for small to mid-sized businesses.

They offer medical, dental, and visual benefits to clients’ employees. Retirement planning solutions are also available to clients of all sizes.

Amplify provides personalized customer support and ensures any inquiry or complaint is resolved with a human on the other side of the line, which is a great claim to fame and a huge advantage when compared to other PEO companies.

Your issues will be solved with a personalized touch, making things much easier for everyone involved.

Company size: 11-50 employees

Location: Lincolnshire, IL

Services:

• Payroll
• Benefits
• HR and retirement
• Risk management and compliance

3. Vensure PEO

Another industry leader, Vensure PEO works with businesses nationwide, processing over $4.7 billion in payroll and supporting a total workforce of 250,000.

The company is a great choice for small businesses in search of HR solutions, especially those who are looking for a more customized solution for their specific industry (which can be important, if required).

Company size: 300+ employees

Location: Chandler, AZ

Services:

• Payroll
• Medical and voluntary benefits
• Workers’ compensation
• Risk management
• HR administration

4. CXC Global

Founded in 1992 in Sydney, Australia, CXC Global has offices and internal staff in 35+ countries, with global PEO and Employer of Record (EOR) capabilities in 65+ countries.

CXC Global is partnering with the US-based companies that want to hire globally in the countries they don't have offices in. 

CXC’s proprietary compliance platform, CXC Comply, ensures compliant engagement of the workers and right-to-work checks in each country.

Company size: 180 employees

Location: Regional offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America

Services:

• Onboarding
• Right to work
• International payroll
• Currency conversion
• Contract management

5. Brandt International

Brandt International is a leading Malaysian business process outsourcing (BPO) company that supports businesses of all sizes in the financial, telecommunication, insurance, oil and gas, and FMCG industries.

Brandt International offers services in English and East-Asian languages.

One of their specialties is end-to-end customer experience management, strategic customer relationship development and managed multi-media contact centers with up to 200 seats.

Company size: 1,000+ employees

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Services:

• Customer experience management
• IT outsourcing management
• Workforce outsourcing
• Finance shared services
• Learning and development

6. KOISRA UP

KOISRA UP provides full market-entry services in South Korea, including company registration, payroll, HR and recruitment, visa and relocation, virtual offices and more.

It is part of KOISRA Co., Ltd. – a Korean business consulting firm – and it provides services to start-ups and multinational companies that wish to expand to the South Korean market, as well as to global PEO agencies that have no presence or license to work in South Korea.

Company size: 11 employees

Location: Seoul, South Korea; Tel Aviv, Israel; Taipei, Taiwan

Services:

• Payroll
• HR management
• Benefits administration
• Labor-law compliance
• Business registration

7. factoHR

factoHR provides HR management services and other operations to small and medium businesses, taking care of HR needs from “hire to retire.”

This company has been providing retirement benefits for the last 15+ years and HR software for 6+ years, serving over 1,000 clients with more than one million employees registered under their HRMS System.

One of the company's specialties includes features of self-onboarding, as well as safe and secure management of employee data.

Company size: 150+ employees

Location: Regional offices in Rajkot, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad

Services:

• HR management
• Onboarding and payroll process
• Attendance and leave management
• Retirement benefits
• Provident Fund and Benevolent Fund management

8. ExtensisHR

ExtensisHR is a national HR outsourcing service provider specializing in tailored PEO services and HR solutions for small and medium-sized businesses.

Its portfolio includes personalized solutions and services for HR, benefits, payroll and taxes, employer risk, employee management, recruiting, compliance and leading HRIS technology.

ExtensisHR’s managers have the expertise and flexibility to customize solutions to fit your needs, whether you have 10 employees or 2,500.

Company size: 201-500 employees

Location: Woodbridge, NJ

Services:

• Payroll
• Medical & Supplemental benefits
• Risk & Compliance management
• Recruiting & Talent management
• HR technology 

9. StaffLink Outsourcing

StaffLink Outsourcing is a national PEO that provides HR solutions to small and mid-size businesses, from payroll management to benefits administration.

Some of the services include COVID-19 resources along with PPP Loan reporting assistance, hiring procedural guidance and training, employment verification, reporting, liability insurance and pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation and compliance.

Company size: 10+ employees

Location: Parkway Sunrise, FL

Services:

• Payroll administration
• Tax services
• Benefits administration
• Risk management services
• Employment rules and regulations guidance

10. Source it, Inc.

Source it, Inc. has been a staple of Hawaii’s staffing industry for over 10 years, tailored to fit the island’s unique workforce and business needs.

It staffs some of the most fundamental and important job categories on the island, keeping them safe, strong and moving forward.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Source it has been focusing on the still-thriving construction industry. Of particular note is the free certified payroll services that Source it provides for most state and federal construction workers.

Company size: Under 10 employees

Location: Honolulu, HI

Services:

• Recruiting
• HR administration
• Medical & Supplemental benefits
• Workers’ compensation
• Payroll services & Free certified payroll

11. CodersLink

CodersLink empowers scaling companies to build, grow and manage remote tech teams in Latin America.

Through remote staffing and direct placements, CodersLink ensures the best companies find the best talent to continue growing their technology teams, fill skill-gaps and respond to scaling needs.

Company size: 25-50 employees

Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA and Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Services:

• Remote staff augmentation
• Recruitment outsourcing
• HR and payroll management
• Build-Operate-Transfer model

12. Cekindo

Cekindo provides market entry services to companies and investors who want to enter new markets across South-East Asia. It specializes in market entry solutions from company registration to business visas and work permits.

Cekindo is part of In.Corp Group, a corporation that supports investors from around the globe to expand across Asia. It can be a good fit for your business if you want to enter Vietnam or Indonesia which are among the fastest-growing economies in the world.

Company size: 300+ employees

Location: Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, China

Services:

• Payroll
• HR management solutions
• Accounting outsourcing
• Corporate tax and compliance
• Business process outsourcing

13. Biz Latin Hub

Biz Latin Hub provides corporate support services in English, Spanish and Portuguese for investors entering markets throughout Latin America and the South Pacific.

Besides key markets in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and other countries in Latin America, as well as Australia and New Zealand, Biz Latin Hub also plans for permanent representation in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Company size: 100 employees

Location: Bogotá, Colombia

Services:

• Accounting services
• Commercial representation
• Hiring & PEO
• Legal services
• Tax advisory

What To Look For In A PEO Company

• Step 1: When vetting PEOs, first weed out those that will not or cannot serve your business based on your business’ number of employees, location, budget and required expertise.
• Step 2: Ensure that the PEO company can scale its services alongside your business. Keep in mind that PEO contracts can span over multiple years, so avoid short-term thinking in your decision-making.
• Step 3: Check as to the organizations’ accreditations, such as IRS and ESAC.
• Step 4: Interview or otherwise communicate with the top candidates to see if they are a good fit.

Questions To Ask When Interviewing PEOs

Some of the most important questions to ask PEO companies are:

1. How can I be sure that your advice would be impartial and in my organization’s best interest?
2. How would we track and measure your involvement?
   1. How would we track the time and resources you have dedicated to our account?
3. Who would be our main point of contact?
   1. What would be the scope of their responsibilities?
4. What are all the services you offer?
   1. Could we get the list of the tasks you would cover?
   2. Could we get the list of the tasks we or our employees would be expected to cover?
5. Would our main point of contact, or other representatives, visit us on-site to gain a more in-depth insight into our organization? Would this be a possibility in case of an emergency?
6. What software, apps, or other tools do you use to deliver your services?
   1. What are the main benefits these systems will provide us?

Takeaways On PEO Companies

PEO companies help SMBs access corporate-level HR and benefits cost-effectively thanks to their co-employment model and allow them to stay competitive on multiple levels with larger corporations.

And while you can expect to pay up to $1,800 per employee per year, the cost of providing these services and benefits yourself will almost certainly be greater.

Their most sought-after services include:

• Payroll management
• Benefits
• Compliance
• Risk management

Yet partnering with a PEO exposes your companies’ sensitive details and business areas to a third party, and takes a bit of the control out of your hands (though you still have the final say on everything), so finding the right partner is key.

Services like PEO Analysis help shorten the path to the right partner significantly.