A PSP payroll service’s main job is to make sure that payroll is processed correctly and on schedule. A PSP is a specialist service that runs payroll using the tools and systems you already have in place.
Your company’s EIN is still used to file payroll when you operate with a PSP. The supplier uses the information you give them to figure out wages, withholdings, deductions, and tax filings. They might also file W-2s, W-3s, quarterly reports, and FUTA payments for you.
PSP working process:
PSPs are popular because they are straightforward and affordable. Prices are mainly based on how many employees you have each month. A PSP can make sense for organizations that have a steady payroll, are based in one state, and don’t need much HR help.
A PSP does not share the obligation of the employer. You are still in charge of compliance, benefits, workers’ compensation, and HR policy.
A PEO works in a very different way. When you work with a PEO, you become a co-employer.
For tax and benefits purposes, a PEO becomes the employer of record. You still run the business on a day-to-day basis. The PEO’s EIN, not yours, runs payroll. That change impacts how taxes, benefits, and liabilities are handled.
PEOs typically manage:
|
Area |
PSP (Payroll Service Provider) |
PEO (Professional Employer Organization) |
|
Core role |
Processes payroll and related tax filings |
Provides full HR outsourcing through co-employment |
|
Payroll processing |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Tax filing |
File payroll taxes under your EIN |
Often files payroll taxes under the PEO’s EIN (varies by state and CPEO status) |
|
Employer of record |
No |
Yes, for certain employment and tax purposes |
|
Co-employment |
No co-employment relationship |
A co-employment relationship exists |
|
HR services |
Limited or optional add-ons |
Comprehensive HR support included |
|
Benefits administration |
Minimal or none |
Full benefits administration with group buying power |
|
Access to enterprise benefits |
No |
Yes, pooled health, retirement, and insurance plans |
|
Workers’ compensation |
Client manages |
Typically bundled and managed by the PEO |
|
Compliance support |
Basic payroll compliance only |
Ongoing federal, state, and local compliance monitoring |
|
Legal liability |
Client retains full liability |
Liability is shared depending on the agreement |
|
Risk management |
Not included |
Included (safety programs, claims support, guidance) |
|
Technology platform |
Payroll software only |
Integrated HRIS, payroll, benefits, and reporting |
|
Pricing model |
Per employee or per payroll run |
Per employee or percentage of payroll |
|
Best for |
Businesses that only need payroll processing |
Growing businesses needing payroll plus HR, benefits, and compliance support |
|
The time the owner spends on HR |
Still significant |
Significantly reduced |
|
Scalability |
Limited as headcount grows |
Designed to scale with growth |
Payroll mistakes are dangerous. The IRS made more than 13% more money from penalties and past-due taxes in 2024 than it did the year before. New restrictions on overtime and state-paid leave programs will make enforcement much stricter by 2026.
If the provider makes a mistake, the PSP still legally owns it. A PEO, on the other hand, takes on shared responsibility and usually has a compliance infrastructure that can handle a lot of work.
Depending on the services, a typical PSP can charge $50 to $150 per employee per month. That comes up to $1,500 to $4,500 a month, or $18,000 to $54,000 a year, for a company with 30 employees. You are paying for things like processing payroll, filing taxes, and maybe even some help with compliance.
You still have to pay a benefits broker a commission of 2% to 8%. You’re still in charge of compliance or hiring specialists when problems come up. You are still in charge of workers’ comp claims. You still have to keep up with changes to employment legislation. When you sum up all of these expenditures and the worth of your own time spent managing things, the overall HR costs for that 30-person company might be between $75,000 and $100,000 a year.
For that same 30-person company with an annual payroll of $1.8 million, a PEO might charge 5% of the payroll. That comes to $90,000 a year. It sounds like a lot more than the PSP, but it includes payroll processing, full benefits, workers’ comp insurance, compliance support, HR advising, risk management, and sharing of liability. No extra fees for benefits brokers. No costs for compliance consultants. No problems in managing workers’ compensation. And you’re getting better perks that help you hire and keep staff.
Most businesses say that the PEO costs less overall but gives them a lot more value. That’s why the market for payroll services in the U.S. is expected to rise from $8.44 billion in 2025 to $11.61 billion by 2031. A lot of this growth will come from businesses using PEOs.
A PSP can be enough for now if your business has fewer than 10 employees, only works in one state, and has simple payroll needs.
If your business is growing, recruiting people in other states, having trouble following the rules, or spending too much time on HR concerns, a PEO might be more useful.
We offer a free consultation in which we examine your present situation, explain how our PEO services function, and show you what the real cost comparison looks like for your organization. No pressure, no need to do anything. Just honest feedback from people who have been working on these challenges for more than 20 years.
Stop making guesses about how a PEO and a PSP work. Let’s sit down together and look at your real demands and costs to see which way makes the most sense for your business right now and where you want it to go in the future.
A PSP works as an independent contractor for your business. You give the hours worked, pay rates, and any extra money, like bonuses, for each pay period. The PSP figures up your gross salary, all of your tax withholdings and benefit deductions, and how to pay you by direct deposit or check. It also files your payroll taxes under your EIN. They can fill out W-2s and W-3s, file unemployment tax forms, and be your IRS reporting agent. You pay the PSP a fee or percentage of payroll for each employee, but you are still entirely responsible for all employment concerns and for following the law.
It all depends on how big the company is and what it needs. For organizations with fewer than 10 employees that only need basic payroll processing and are comfortable doing other HR tasks themselves, a PSP is frequently enough and costs less up front. A PEO usually gives businesses with more than 10 employees better value, even though it charges more in nominal fees, because it offers a full range of benefits.
PSPs usually don't handle employee benefits administration. They are focused on processing wages and making sure taxes are paid. You have to look for your own health insurance, retirement programs, and other benefits. You also have to negotiate with carriers on your own and handle benefits administration on your own.
When you use a PSP, you are still responsible for payroll mistakes, even if the PSP made them. The PSP is your contractor, not your co-employer; you are still responsible for your employees. If you file your payroll taxes late or inaccurately, the IRS will go after your firm, not the PSP. When you work with a PEO, you share liability through the co-employment arrangement. The PEO takes care of a lot of employment-related tasks, such as making sure payroll taxes are paid on time. Certified PEOs (CPEOs) are responsible for federal employment taxes, which gives you even more protection.
PSPs usually charge $50 to $150 per employee per month ($18,000 to $54,000 per year for 30 employees) to handle payroll and file basic taxes. You do have to pay for benefits brokers (2–8% of premiums), compliance consultants, workers' comp insurance, HR technology, and your own time handling everything, though. The total expense of HR can be between $75,000 and $100,000 a year. PEOs charge 3–7% of payroll (around $90,000 a year for a 30-person company with a $1.8 million payroll), but they also handle payroll, full benefits, workers' comp, compliance, HR consultation, and shared liability. Most firms think that PEOs are cheaper overall and offer a lot more value.