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PEO for mid-market companies
Find a PEO built
for mid-market companies.
For growing companies with 100–500 employees. Compare 40+ vetted PEOs side by side on workforce planning support, hiring standards, risk protection and what you really pay, including PEOs that let you carve out benefits or workers' comp. Every fee and contract term in plain view. Free comparison, no obligation.
Built for:
100–500 employees
Scaling the team
In-house HR team
Outgrowing a current PEO
Your PEO shortlist
180 employees · 6 states · in-house HR team
Illustrative example
PEO A
Best fit
Match
91%
HR consulting
Dedicated
Benefits carve-out
Allowed
EPLI
Included
All-in / employee / mo
$1,096
Exit fee
None
PEO B
Shortlisted
Match
83%
HR consulting
Shared pool
Benefits carve-out
Allowed
EPLI
Included
All-in / employee / mo
$1,142
Exit fee
None
PEO C
Shortlisted
Match
74%
HR consulting
Dedicated
Benefits carve-out
Not offered
EPLI
Add-on
All-in / employee / mo
$1,071
Exit fee
$12,000
Every fee decoded by P.A.U.L. · Gaps and exit terms flagged before you sign
Compare leading PEOs with confidence, including
Sound familiar?
You've grown past small business.
Your HR setup hasn't.
Somewhere past 100 employees, the way you've always done things stops working. Turnover climbs just as you need the right people to grow, standards drift from manager to manager, complaints and legal exposure rise, and you're still paying retail for most of what you buy. These are the walls mid-market companies hit most often.
“Turnover is climbing just when we need the right people to grow.”
The fix is strategic workforce planning: an org structure built for where you're going, a plan for people leaving, backups for critical roles, closing skill gaps and turning generalists into specialists. The right PEO brings HR consultants who help you build that plan, not just run payroll.
“Every manager hires differently, and culture is slipping.”
Inconsistent standards let the wrong candidates get too far into the process, and every bad hire chips away at your culture. The fix is one standardized selection process for all incoming talent: clear job profiles, structured interviews and consistent checks. Many PEOs provide the tools and templates to make it stick.
“Complaints are up, and so is our legal exposure.”
At this size, HR is about lowering the odds that regulators or employees sue you. That takes a documented performance management system, employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) and cultural values you reinforce every day. Many PEOs include EPLI and the HR guidance to back it up.
“We're still paying retail for everything.”
Most mid-market companies overpay for benefits, workers' comp and HR services, and cash gets tied up in deposits and premiums. Co-employment lets you use the PEO's size as leverage: depending on the state, that can mean a better SUTA rate, pay-as-you-go workers' comp instead of big upfront deposits, and large-group benefits pricing. Then renegotiate every other rate and set a regular audit cadence.
“We've outgrown our PEO.”
The PEO that fit you at 30 employees may not fit at 200: no strategic HR support, slow service, and pricing that never adjusted as you grew. Another PEO may serve your size far better, and comparing is how you find out.
“Should we move to an ASO or bring HR in-house?”
Maybe, but there's a middle ground. At your size, some PEOs let you carve out benefits or workers' comp: keep the plan or policy you like and hand off payroll, HR and compliance. Compare that against an ASO before you switch models. Read our ASO vs. PEO guide.
Why mid-market companies use a PEO
Bigger team. Bigger risks.
Bigger bills.
A PEO (Professional Employer Organization) takes on payroll, benefits and HR administration as a co-employer, and the right one adds the strategic support a growing company needs: workforce planning, hiring standards and risk protection. Here's what's at stake at your size.
0.5–2x
an employee's annual salary: the cost to replace one person
52%
of people who quit say their manager or company could have prevented it
91,503
new discrimination charges filed with the EEOC in fiscal 2025, up 3.4%
6.5%
projected rise in health benefit cost per employee in 2026, the highest in 15 years
Sources: Gallup, EEOC FY2025 annual report (via HR Morning) and Mercer National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans (2025).
What you get
The HR foundation a growing company needs, without building it yourself.
Multi-state payroll and taxes run, filed and deposited wherever you operate
Benefits your way: PEO-sponsored plans, or carve out and keep your own
Workforce planning support: org structure, succession, backups for key roles and skill gaps
Workers' comp and risk management through the PEO, or carve out your current policy
Standardized hiring: job profiles, structured interviews and consistent background checks
Risk protection: documented performance management, EPLI options and compliance guidance
Free for mid-market companies
Benchmark what you pay at your headcount.
Compare vetted PEOs side by side, including carve-out options for benefits or workers' comp, with every fee modeled for a company your size.
Why compare here first
Not every PEO is built
for a company your size.
Many PEOs are designed for 10-person companies. Others are built for thousands of employees. Service models, platforms, pricing at scale and contract terms differ more at your size than anywhere else, so comparing side by side is how you find the right fit.
Matched to your scale
PEOs that actually serve 100–500 employee companies
P.A.U.L., our AI PEO assistant, matches you with PEOs whose service teams, states, industries and platforms fit a company your size, including PEOs that allow benefits or workers' comp carve-outs.
Every fee decoded
Every cost modeled at your headcount
Proposals land in one standardized format, line by line, so your CFO can see the all-in cost per employee, including admin fees, benefits and workers' comp, not just the headline rate.
No surprise lock-in
Renewals, service levels and exit terms, flagged
Auto-renewals, renewal pricing, service commitments and exit fees are laid out in plain language before you sign. Already on a full-service PEO? Our $500 per employee per year savings guarantee applies.
Free for your company
Paid by the PEO you ultimately choose
Like a recruiter, our fee comes from the PEO you ultimately pick. Your team gets the comparison, the tools and the guidance at no cost, with no obligation to choose anyone.
What it looks like
A 180-employee company that's scaling fast
A common picture: a regional company with 180 employees across several states, a two-person HR team and a PEO it joined when it had 40 people. Turnover is rising and hiring is uneven. Here's how things change once the right PEO for its current size is in place. More real outcomes in our case studies.
Illustrative example based on common mid-market setups.
Before
Key roles with no backup or succession plan
Every manager hiring their own way
Reviews undocumented, complaints on the rise
Benefits and work comp renewed at retail rates
After
Org plan with succession and backups for critical roles
One standardized selection process for every hire
Documented performance management, with EPLI in place
SUTA, work comp and benefits rates improved through the PEO's scale
Before you sign anything
6 questions your CFO or HR lead should ask a PEO
We check every one of these for you, and lay the answers out side by side.
How is our admin fee priced at our headcount, and does it change as we grow?
Are our health plans pooled or rated on our own claims, and how were renewals set last year?
Do you provide HR consultants for workforce planning, succession and org design?
Is EPLI included, and what are the limits, deductibles and exclusions?
Can we carve out our current benefits plan or workers' comp policy, and how does that change your pricing?
What are the contract term, renewal terms and fees to leave, or to move to an ASO model?
Your options
Three ways to buy PEO services.
Only one compares them all for you.
Going direct to a PEO
Traditional broker
PEO Marketplace
PEOs you compare
One by one
The few they work with
40+ vetted PEOs, side by side
Your time
Slowest
Faster
Fastest
Proposals
Their format
Each PEO's own format
Standardized format, decoded line by line
Quote paperwork
You gather it
You gather it
Done for you, or guided DIY if you prefer
Cost to your business
Free
Usually free
Free, paid by the PEO you choose
Contract review
On your own
Varies
Before you sign
After you sign
The PEO's service team
Varies
Quarterly advocacy check-ins
Platform launch · December
Pre-register for the PEO Marketplace platform.
Everything the PEO market has been missing, from A to Z: smart shopping, side-by-side comparisons and contract signing on one platform, taking the whole PEO process from weeks to hours. Pre-register today as a business, a partner or a PEO. The first 50 businesses get free access to the beta launch.
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Who's registering?
For employers
Shopping for a PEO or reviewing the one you have? The first 50 businesses to pre-register get free access to the beta launch of the marketplace.
Free beta access is limited to the first 50 businesses that pre-register.
Mid-market FAQ
PEO vs. ASO and other questions
mid-market leaders ask.
Reviewed by PEO Marketplace, a licensed Florida insurance agency (#L129491). Last updated October 2026.
What is the difference between a PEO and an ASO?
A PEO becomes a co-employer: your employees join its payroll for tax purposes and can use its benefit plans and workers' comp, and it shares certain employer responsibilities. An ASO (Administrative Services Organization) provides similar HR and payroll administration, but you stay the sole employer, keep your own benefit plans and carry the liability. Our ASO vs. PEO guide covers the details.
Can we keep our own benefits or workers' comp with a PEO?
Yes, with the right PEO. At your size, some PEOs on our marketplace let you carve out benefits or workers' comp: you keep your current health plan or work comp policy, and the PEO handles payroll, HR administration and compliance. It's a middle ground between a full PEO and an ASO. See how your current plan compares in our benefits benchmark.
Is a PEO or an ASO better for a mid-sized company?
It depends on what you want to own. A full PEO fits if benefits buying power, workers' comp and shared compliance support matter most. An ASO fits if you already have strong benefits and an experienced HR team. In between, some PEOs let you carve out benefits or workers' comp and outsource the rest. Decide on all-in cost and service at your size.
Do PEOs work for companies with more than 100 employees?
Yes. Many PEOs serve companies with hundreds or even thousands of employees, with dedicated service teams and pricing built for larger groups. The key is a PEO whose service model fits your size. Larger groups are often priced on their own claims history, so it helps to understand how PEO underwriting works.
What is the best PEO for a mid-sized company?
There isn't one best PEO for every mid-sized company. The right fit depends on your states, industry, benefits strategy, systems and how much service your HR team needs. We compare 40+ vetted PEOs side by side for your company instead of ranking one winner for everyone.
How much does a PEO cost for a mid-market company?
PEOs price per employee per month or as a percentage of payroll, plus benefits and workers' comp. At your size, admin fees are often negotiable, and co-employment can lower costs further: depending on the state, a better SUTA rate, pay-as-you-go work comp and large-group benefits pricing. Compare all-in cost per employee with our PEO cost calculator.
Can a PEO help reduce employee turnover?
It can. The right PEO combines stronger benefits with strategic HR support: workforce planning, succession for key roles, standardized hiring and documented performance management. NAPEO research finds businesses that use a PEO have 12% lower employee turnover, and Gallup reports that 52% of people who quit say their employer could have prevented it.
Does a PEO include EPLI?
Many PEOs include employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) or offer it as an option, along with HR guidance, documented policies and performance management that help prevent claims in the first place. Limits, deductibles and exclusions vary widely, so we lay them out side by side before you choose.
We already have an HR team. Will we lose control?
No. Your HR team keeps ownership of culture, hiring, performance and every people decision. The PEO takes on payroll processing, benefits administration, tax filings and compliance support, so your team spends its time on strategy instead of administration.
We've outgrown our current PEO. What are our options?
You can move to a PEO built for your size, renegotiate with your current one using real comparisons, or move to an ASO or in-house model. Start by checking your notice period and exit terms, then compare all-in costs. If you're on a full-service PEO today, our $500 per employee per year savings guarantee applies. Smaller and growing? See PEOs for small business.
Is PEO Marketplace free for mid-market companies?
Yes. We work like a recruiter: our fee is paid by the PEO you ultimately choose. There's no obligation to choose any PEO we show you.
Keep exploring
Your next step.
Solutions
Find your industry
Guides for 14 industries, from construction to life sciences.
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Proof
See real results
Case studies with the before-and-after numbers, line by line.
Read the case studies →
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Run your own numbers in the free PEO Calculator.
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