We work for you, not the PEOs: independent advice, free comparison, same-day follow-up
PEO consulting services

Independent PEO consulting: we compare the market, you keep the savings.

PEO Consulting Partners is an independent PEO brokerage and consulting firm. We help employers evaluate, compare, negotiate and select a PEO from 28 providers, then manage the switch. There is no fee to you: the PEO you choose pays us.

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No fee to you28 PEO relationships46 states100+ companies placed

What PEO consulting means here.

A PEO consultant represents the employer, not the provider. Most companies that call a PEO directly receive one quote, priced by a salesperson whose job is to close it. Our job is the opposite: put every PEO that fits your business on the same page, at the same assumptions, and negotiate from there.

We are compensated by the PEO you select through its standard broker program, so the engagement costs you nothing and the rate you receive is not marked up to cover it. Because the providers know our clients arrive quote-ready and compared, the pricing we bring back is regularly below what the same company would get going direct.

We work with employers from roughly 5 to 500 employees across 46 states, in construction, healthcare, professional services, technology, nonprofits, hospitality and manufacturing. We do not sell a PEO of our own.

Services we provide.

PEO comparison and selection

We shortlist the PEOs that write your industry and states, collect quotes on identical assumptions, and present pricing, benefits and workers compensation side by side so the decision is made on numbers, not sales calls.

New to PEOs

PEO pricing review and negotiation

Bundled PEO invoices hide where the money goes. We separate the administrative fee, medical, workers compensation and taxes, benchmark each against the market, and negotiate the line items that are out of range.

Reduce PEO costs

Switching PEOs

If your current PEO is underperforming on price, service or benefits, we run the replacement search and manage the transition so payroll, benefits and workers compensation move without a gap.

Switching PEOs

Benefits and workers compensation evaluation

The medical renewal and the workers compensation rate are where PEO quotes differ most. We evaluate plan design, network fit for the states your people live in, and class-code pricing before you commit.

PEO health insurance

PEO vs ASO vs payroll

A PEO is not always the answer. When an ASO, a payroll provider plus a group plan, or staying put is the better outcome for your size and states, we say so.

PEO pros and cons

Multi-state and remote employers

Every state you hire into adds registrations, unemployment accounts and leave rules. We identify which PEOs actually write each of your states and price the coverage correctly.

PEO for remote teams

How the engagement works.

  1. 1

    Tell us about the company

    Headcount, states, industry, current provider if any, and what is driving the search. Three minutes online or a 30-minute call.

  2. 2

    We build the shortlist

    From 28 PEOs we identify the providers that fit and request quotes on identical census and plan assumptions.

  3. 3

    Side-by-side comparison

    Administrative fees, medical, workers compensation and taxes broken out per employee per month, with our read on service and fit.

  4. 4

    Negotiate and select

    We push on the line items that are out of range. You choose the PEO. Our fee is paid by the provider, not by you.

  5. 5

    Managed transition

    Implementation timeline, data transfer, benefits enrollment and the first payroll, with us in the loop until it runs clean.

What a PEO quote is made of.

Most PEO proposals arrive as a single per-employee-per-month number. The comparison only becomes honest once that number is split into its parts, because each part is negotiated differently.

ComponentWhat drives itWhat we do with it
Administrative feeHeadcount, service tier, whether it is a flat fee or a percentage of payroll.Convert every quote to a flat per-employee figure, then negotiate the fee directly. Percentage-of-payroll fees are challenged for salaried teams.
MedicalPlan design, carrier, the PEO's master-plan experience, and the states where employees live.Compare like plans, check network fit by state, and review the renewal history before you rely on year-one pricing.
Workers compensationClass codes, payroll by class, claims history, and whether the PEO writes your states.Verify class codes are correct (they are often not), compare rates per $100 of payroll, and confirm pay-as-you-go terms.
State and federal taxesFICA, FUTA, and state unemployment insurance, which may be charged at the PEO rate or your own.Confirm which SUI rate applies and whether wage-base restarts are charged on a mid-year switch.

Where we work.

We serve employers in 46 states. PEO pricing is set state by state (workers compensation rules, unemployment insurance and paid-leave programs all vary), so each state guide below covers which PEOs write there and what changes the math.

Browse every state →

PEO broker North CarolinaPEO broker TexasPEO broker FloridaPEO broker ColoradoPEO broker GeorgiaPEO broker ArizonaPEO broker NevadaPEO broker MassachusettsPEO broker South CarolinaPEO broker IllinoisPEO broker CaliforniaPEO broker Pennsylvania

Ready to see the market? Start with a free comparison.

Tell us your headcount, states and current provider. We come back the same business day with which PEOs fit and what they should cost.

Get my free PEO comparison →Call 203-535-5551

Frequently asked questions answered.

What does a PEO consultant actually do?

A PEO consultant, also called a PEO broker, represents the employer in the PEO market. We define what you need, identify which PEOs write your industry and states, collect quotes on a like-for-like basis, break each quote into its real components (administrative fee, medical, workers compensation, state taxes), negotiate pricing and terms, and manage the transition. You still choose the PEO; we make sure the choice is informed and the price is right.

How much do PEO consulting services cost?

Nothing to the employer. PEO Consulting Partners is paid by the PEO you select through that provider's standard broker program, the same way a benefits broker is paid by a carrier. The rate you receive is not marked up to cover our fee, and because we bring the PEO a vetted, quote-ready client, we regularly negotiate below what a company would get going direct.

Is a PEO broker the same as a PEO?

No. A PEO is the provider that co-employs your staff and runs payroll, benefits, workers compensation and HR compliance. A PEO broker or consultant is independent of the providers and compares them on your behalf. We do not sell a PEO of our own, which is what keeps the recommendation honest.

Which PEOs do you work with?

We hold broker relationships with 28 PEOs, including the national providers most employers recognize (ADP TotalSource, Insperity, Paychex PEO, Justworks, Rippling, TriNet) and the regional and industry-focused PEOs that often price better for a specific state or risk profile. Every comparison is built from the providers that fit your headcount, industry and states, not from a fixed list.

Do you work with businesses in my area?

We place PEOs in 46 states and work with employers by phone, video and email, so the comparison is the same whether you are in Fayetteville, Denver, Dallas or a smaller market. State matters more than city in PEO pricing: workers compensation rules, state unemployment insurance and paid-leave programs are set at the state level, and we account for each state you employ in.

We already have a PEO. Can you review our pricing?

Yes, and a renewal review is one of the most common engagements. We benchmark your current administrative fee, medical renewal and workers compensation rates against live quotes from comparable PEOs, then either negotiate with your current provider or manage a switch if the gap justifies it. Many clients stay where they are with better terms.

How long does a PEO comparison take?

We follow up the same business day. With a census and current invoices in hand, most employers have a side-by-side comparison within one to two weeks, depending on how quickly the PEOs return quotes. Implementation after you choose typically takes four to eight weeks and is usually timed to a month or quarter start.