Payroll · 20+ employees
Best Payroll for 20+ employees Trades Shops (2026)
At 20+ employees, payroll considerations shift — multi-state compliance, complex benefits administration, and HR workflow integration become real factors. Gusto Plus or Premium remains a strong default; Rippling earns consideration if HR + IT consolidation is needed; ADP/Paychex become credible if compliance complexity (multi-state, prevailing-wage, union) requires their depth.
Recommended
2Gusto
The modern SMB payroll favorite — best affiliate economics in the entire WrenchStack universe ($300-$1,000+ per signup via PartnerStack)
$40/mo base + $6/employee on Simple
Best for: Modern SMB trades shops with 2-25 W-2 employees + optional 1099 subcontractors who want self-service payroll, automatic tax filing, and integrated employee benefits without the complexity of ADP-tier enterprise systems
OnPay
Lean SMB payroll with flat pricing — favorite of small trades shops who don't need Gusto's bolt-ons
$40/mo base + $6/employee
Best for: Price-conscious SMB trades shops (1-15 employees) who want clean modern payroll without upsell tiers, and don't need extensive FSM-integration depth or premium benefits tooling
Context-specific fit
1Rippling
All-in-one HR + IT + payroll platform — comprehensive but overkill for most trades shops
$8/employee/mo base, modules priced separately (payroll, benefits, IT management, time tracking, recruiting)
Best for: Mid-market trades operations (50+ employees, multi-location, dedicated HR staff) needing comprehensive HR/IT/payroll consolidation in a single platform
Legacy / structural concerns
2ADP Run
Legacy mass-market SMB payroll — solid product with documented aggressive renewal-pricing pattern
Sales-quoted pricing
Best for: Mid-market and larger trades operations (25+ employees) needing complex multi-state, prevailing-wage, or union-compliance capacity that smaller SMB platforms don't handle — and contractors who already have an established ADP relationship that's working well
Paychex Flex
Legacy SMB payroll competitor to ADP — similar structural concerns around sales process and renewal pricing
Sales-quoted pricing
Best for: Mid-market trades operations needing legacy-payroll compliance depth, or contractors with existing Paychex relationships that work well
Frequently asked
What's the best payroll for a 20+ employees trades shop?
Based on price + product fit, Gusto is the top recommendation for 20+ employees trades. Modern SMB trades shops with 2-25 W-2 employees + optional 1099 subcontractors who want self-service payroll, automatic tax filing, and integrated employee benefits without the complexity of ADP-tier enterprise systems. OnPay is a strong alternative.
What does payroll typically cost for 20+ employees?
For 20+ employee shops, payroll runs $300-$800+/month depending on feature tier. Gusto Plus stays competitive ($80 + $12×N). Rippling per-employee pricing climbs faster. ADP/Paychex pricing is opaque but tend toward higher end.
Do I really need payroll software at this size?
Yes — once you have any W-2 employees, the tax-filing complexity (quarterly 941, year-end W-2 issuance, multi-state withholdings) creates risk + time cost that almost always exceeds the $40-$70/mo payroll software cost. Hand-filing or check-writing for employees is a false economy.
What about my 1099 subcontractors?
Most modern payroll (Gusto, OnPay, Patriot) handle 1099 contractors cleanly alongside W-2 employees in the same workflow. Year-end 1099-NEC issuance is automatic. For 1099-only shops (no W-2 employees), Square Payroll has the cheapest contractor-only tier ($6/contractor, no base fee).