Outsource HR services
Outsourcing HR services goes wrong in a predictable way: an employer with one specific problem is sold a bundle solving five, and concludes a year later that it is not worth it. This page is a sequence rather than a pitch, and each step is worth doing on its own.
- median advertised base subscription, per month
- $39
- providers with a price they will print
- 2
- states with measured demand and evidenced cover
- 5
Figures on this page come from the price record on this site: 2 providers checked against their own published pages, median advertised base subscription $39 a month among those that publish one.
- 2 provider pages checkedevery figure matched verbatim to the provider's own page
- Quoted and dated, never estimatedlast verification pass 2026-09-09
- 5 states with evidenced coverevidenced by the provider's own live state page
Advertised prices, checked
| Provider | Base price | Per worker | What it covers | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExtensisHR | |||||
| FrankCrum | |||||
| Gusto | |||||
| Insperity | |||||
| Justworks | |||||
| OnPay | |||||
| Patriot Software | |||||
| Paychex | |||||
| Rippling | |||||
| SurePayroll | |||||
| TriNet | |||||
| VensureHR |
The sequence, one step at a time
- Move the pay run and the filings. Cheapest, most competitive, published prices available. Do this first and alone, and live with it for a quarter before adding anything.
- Add the administration only if it is still hurting. Starters, leavers, records, registrations. If the pay run leaving your desk solved the problem, stop here; a lot of employers should.
- Add documents when you cross a threshold. A new state, a headcount that makes the handbook matter, or a first difficult situation. Not before, because a handbook you do not need is a document nobody reads.
- Consider co-employment only for benefits or work comp. It is a different structure rather than a bigger service, and if benefits are not the reason it is the wrong tool at the wrong price.
Why the sequence matters more than the provider
Employers who move one thing at a time can tell whether each step worked, and can stop when the problem is solved. Employers who move everything at once cannot attribute the outcome, and when the invoice arrives they weigh it against a vague sense of relief rather than against a specific problem fixed.
It also protects the budget: each step has a price you can see, and the decision to take the next one is made with the previous one's results in hand rather than in a single conversation with a salesperson who benefits from you taking all four.
What to settle at every step
Who owns the monthly reconciliation on your side, what the provider commits to on deadlines, and who pays when something is late. Those three questions apply identically to each step and the answers differ by provider and by tier.
Get them in writing each time rather than assuming the answer carries over, because a provider's commitment on payroll filing is frequently stronger than its commitment on anything else it sells you.
Common questions
- What should I outsource first?
- The pay run and the tax filings, alone, and live with it for a quarter. It is the cheapest step, the most competitive market, and for many employers it solves the whole problem.
- How do I avoid over-buying?
- Move one thing at a time so you can tell whether each step worked. Employers who move everything at once cannot attribute the result and weigh the invoice against a vague sense of relief.
- What should I settle at each step?
- Who owns the monthly reconciliation, what the provider commits to on deadlines, and who pays when something is late. Get all three in writing each time rather than assuming they carry over.
Get quotes for your payroll
Coverage by state
Cite or embed this figure
The advertised base monthly subscription for a US payroll service in the US payroll and PEO market was $39 in September 2026, across 2 checked provider pricing pages recorded in Payroll Services Quotes Price Record.
Cite as: "Payroll Services Quotes Price Record", updated 2026-09-09, https://payrollservicesquotes.com/outsource-hr-services/.