Chicago-area boutique PEO holding both IRS CPEO and ESAC credentials
Amplify PEO is an IRS-certified and ESAC-accredited PEO that quotes companies of 10-150 employees (sweet spot: 15-75), most often small and lower-mid-market employers (10-150 employees). Holds both IRS CPEO certification and ESAC accreditation, a combination many PEOs of this size do not carry. A boutique founded in 2017; buyers with complex multi-state footprints should test service coverage before signing.
Our take
Amplify is one of the smaller PEOs we quote, but the credential stack is genuinely strong: CPEO plus ESAC is a combination most boutiques skip because of the cost and the audit burden. For a Chicago-area employer in the 15 to 75 range that wants a named service team instead of a ticket queue, they belong on the shortlist. What buyers should test is scale, specifically multi-state coverage, carrier options in their own geography, and who actually answers when the assigned contact is out. We treat them as a service-led alternative to the national platforms rather than a technology play.
Read our full Amplify PEO review: our score, how it prices, where it is strong, what to check before signing, and who should choose it.
• Small and lower-mid-market employers (10-150 employees)
• Chicago and Midwest businesses wanting a named service team
• Buyers who require both CPEO and ESAC credentials
• First-time PEO buyers moving off in-house HR
• Enterprise employers needing a large national service bench
• Buyers wanting published, self-serve pricing
• Companies needing deep custom HR tech or API-first integrations
Compare Amplify PEO against other PEOs
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Get a free comparison →📅 Schedule a callRead: Amplify PEO alternatives comparedAnswers come from Amplify PEO’s profile in our directory, verified September 2026.
Amplify PEO fits: Small and lower-mid-market employers (10-150 employees), Chicago and Midwest businesses wanting a named service team, Buyers who require both CPEO and ESAC credentials and First-time PEO buyers moving off in-house HR. Its published company-size range is 10-150 employees (sweet spot: 15-75), and it writes Professional Services, Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Financial Services. Holds both IRS CPEO certification and ESAC accreditation, a combination many PEOs of this size do not carry.
Amplify PEO is not the right fit for: Enterprise employers needing a large national service bench, Buyers wanting published, self-serve pricing and Companies needing deep custom HR tech or API-first integrations. A boutique founded in 2017; buyers with complex multi-state footprints should test service coverage before signing.
Amplify PEO does not publish rates. Pricing model: PEPM or percentage of payroll, quoted per client, quoted per client from your census, state mix and workers comp class codes. Contract terms: Annual agreements typical; confirm notice and exit terms in the CSA.
Yes. Amplify PEO is on the IRS certified PEO (CPEO) list and is ESAC accredited. A CPEO takes on sole liability for federal employment taxes and avoids the wage-base restart when you join mid-year.
The providers most often compared with Amplify PEO are Engage PEO, Nextep and Group Management Services (GMS). The right alternative depends on why you are looking. The usual reason: A boutique founded in 2017; buyers with complex multi-state footprints should test service coverage before signing. A free side-by-side puts Amplify PEO next to the PEOs that fit your headcount, states and industry.