Payroll services cost per month: what service businesses should expect (with no hidden fees)

You're comparing payroll providers. One advertises $39/month base fee. Another says $59/month. A third charges $0 base fee and claims you only pay per employee.

You sign up with the $39/month provider because it looks cheapest. First invoice arrives: $287.

What happened?

The base fee was $39. But then came the per-employee charges ($6 × 15 employees = $90), the per-payroll-run fees ($25 × 2 runs = $50), the tax filing fee ($49), the year-end processing ($39), and the direct deposit charges ($4 × 15 = $60).

Welcome to payroll pricing. Where advertised rates bear little resemblance to actual monthly costs.

Actual monthly payroll costs for service businesses typically range $150 to $500, depending on employee count and pay frequency. Still, advertised pricing often shows only 30-40% of what you'll actually pay because base fees exclude per-employee charges, per-run fees, and essential add-on services.

Here's how to decode payroll pricing and know what you'll really pay each month.

How payroll providers structure monthly pricing (and why it isn't very clear)

Payroll pricing uses a multi-component model designed to make comparisons difficult. Providers advertise the lowest component prominently while burying the rest.

The typical pricing structure includes four separate charges that get billed together but are marketed separately.

1. The base monthly fee is what providers advertise. This covers platform access and basic administrative overhead. Range: $0-100/month depending on provider.
2. Per-employee fee charges for each person on payroll. Range: $4-15 per employee per month. This is where most of your actual cost lives.
3. Per-payroll-run fee charges each time you process payroll. Range: $0-35 per run. If you run payroll twice monthly, this adds $0-70 to your monthly cost.
4. Add-on services for tax filing, W-2 processing, direct deposit, or compliance support. Range: $20-150/month total, depending on what you need.

Providers market the base fee aggressively because it looks competitive. Then they make a profit on the other three components you don't see until you're already signed up.

Base monthly fees: What they cover and what they don't

Base fees typically cover platform access, customer support portal, and basic administrative functions. That's essentially it.

What's actually included in base fees

You get access to the payroll software interface, where you enter hours and approve payroll. You get a customer support ticket system (though response times vary dramatically by provider).

You might get basic reporting like pay stubs and payroll registers.

That's usually the extent of what base fees cover. Everything else costs extra.

What's not included (but should be)

1. Tax calculations. Some providers charge separately for calculating federal, state, and local tax withholdings. This should be included, but isn't always.
2. Tax filing and remittance. Most providers charge $30-75/month extra to file your taxes with government agencies. You're paying for payroll processing but not tax compliance unless you pay more.
3. W-2 and 1099 processing. Year-end tax forms often cost $5-15 per form. For 20 employees, that's $100-300 in January that you didn't budget for.
4. Direct deposit. Some providers charge $2-5 per employee per pay period for direct deposit. Others include it. This difference alone can be $40-100 monthly.
5. Multi-state processing. If you have employees in multiple states, expect $15-50/month additional per state for compliance tracking.

The base fee is real. It's just not remotely close to your actual monthly cost.

Per-employee and per-run charges that inflate your bill

This is where advertised pricing and actual costs diverge most dramatically.

Per-employee fees

Most payroll providers charge $4-15 per employee per month on top of the base fee.

For a 15-person service business:

• Low-end provider: $4 × 15 = $60/month
• Mid-tier provider: $8 × 15 = $120/month
• High-end provider: $12 × 15 = $180/monthThat's $60-180 monthly that wasn't in the advertised base price.

Contractors usually cost less per person ($2-6 each), but still add up if you use significant contractor labor.

Per-payroll-run fees

Some providers charge $15-35 every time you run payroll.

If you process payroll biweekly (26 times annually):

• At $20/run: $40/month average
• At $30/run: $60/month average

If you process weekly (52 times annually):

• At $20/run: $80/month average
• At $30/run: $120/month average

This fee exists to make providers who charge it look cheaper in marketing (lower base fee) while making a similar profit on the backend.

Better providers include unlimited payroll runs in their pricing. Cheaper providers nickel and dime per run.

The combined impact

Let's calculate the actual monthly cost for a 20-person service business running payroll biweekly:

Advertised pricing: $39/month base fee

Actual monthly cost: Base fee: $39, per-employee (20 × $6): $120, per-run (2 runs × $25): $50, tax filing: $40, direct deposit (20 × $2 × 2): $80

Total: $329/month

That's 8x the advertised price. This isn't bait-and-switch. It's the standard payroll pricing structure. But it makes comparison shopping nearly impossible without detailed quotes.

Add-on services that aren't really included

Providers advertise "full-service payroll," but define "full-service" very narrowly.

Tax filing and compliance

Automatic tax filing should be standard. Many providers charge $30-75/month extra.

This includes filing federal 941s, state withholding returns, unemployment taxes, and local taxes. Without this service, you're responsible for manual filing. With penalties of $500-2,000 for missed deadlines, skipping this add-on is false economy.

As payroll reporting rules tighten over the next few years, these penalties are becoming more common, not less.

Compliance monitoring for regulatory changes costs another $15-40/month with some providers. This should be included, but often isn't.

Year-end processing

W-2 and 1099 generation often costs $5-15 per form, even though you've been paying for "full-service payroll" all year.

For 25 employees and 10 contractors, that's $175-525 in January, every year.

Some providers include this. Others charge separately. Ask explicitly.

Employee self-service portal

Access for employees to view pay stubs, update direct deposit, and download W-2s sometimes costs $2-5 per employee per month extra.

This should be standard in 2024. If a provider charges separately, that's a red flag.

Integration with accounting or time tracking

QuickBooks or Xero integration might cost $10-30/month extra, depending on the provider.

Time tracking integration with tools like TSheets or Clockify can be another $15-40/month.

If you need integrated payroll (and most service businesses do), these costs add up quickly.

For service businesses, payroll rarely lives in isolation. It connects directly to bookkeeping, cash flow tracking, and reporting as teams grow.

Support beyond basic tickets

Phone support is sometimes a paid upgrade over email-only support at base pricing levels.

A dedicated account manager almost always costs extra ($50-200/month, depending on provider).

Priority support with guaranteed response times can be $30-100/month additional.

What service businesses should actually budget?

Here's a realistic monthly payroll cost for different service business sizes, including all typical fees:

10-person firm, biweekly payroll:

• Budget: $180-280/month
• Breakdown: Base + employees + runs + tax filing + essentials

20-person firm, biweekly payroll:

• Budget: $280-420/month
• Breakdown: Base + employees + runs + tax filing + essentials + integrations

30-person firm, biweekly payroll:

• Budget: $380-550/month
• Breakdown: Base + employees + runs + tax filing + essentials + integrations

These ranges assume:

1. Full tax filing and compliance included

2. Direct deposit included

3. Basic integrations

4. Standard support (not premium)

5. Employees in 1-2 states

Add $50-150/month if you need multi-state processing (3+ states), premium support, or specialized compliance.

How to get transparent pricing quotes

When comparing payroll providers, demand complete pricing breakdowns before signing.

Questions to ask every provider

1. What's the total monthly cost for X employees running payroll Y times per month, with tax filing, W-2 processing, and direct deposit all included?

Force them to give you a total number. Not "starting at $X" but "your actual monthly cost will be $X."

2. What services require additional fees beyond the quoted monthly cost?

Make them list everything not included. Employee self-service? Integrations? Multi-state? Support?

3. What are the per-employee and per-run charges, if any?

Get specific numbers.

4. What does year-end processing cost?

W-2s, 1099s, annual filings. Total cost for your employee count.

5. Are there any usage-based fees for things like check printing, tax forms, or reports?

Red flags in pricing

1. Providers who won't give the total cost without a sales call. Transparent providers publish calculators or pricing pages with real numbers.

2. "Starting at" pricing without per-employee or per-run disclosure. This invariably means the actual cost is 2-4x the advertised base fee.

3. Separate charges for basic features like tax filing or W-2s. These should be included in any legitimate full-service payroll.

4. Long-term contracts are required for advertised pricing. Month-to-month should be standard. Contracts that lock you in for 1-2 years suggest the service isn't confident you'll stay voluntarily.

Making your decision

Payroll services cost per month varies based on employee count, pay frequency, and required features. But actual cost should be predictable and transparent.

Budget $180-550/month for most service businesses with 10-30 employees. Get complete quotes including all fees. Avoid providers who hide costs behind complex pricing structures.

The cheapest advertised base fee rarely means the lowest total cost. Focus on the total monthly investment for the services you actually need. That's the only number that matters.