C-Suite Search Pricing Guide

Benchmarks shown for the broader Human Resources Outsourcing Services category — representative of C-Suite Search engagements.

HR outsourcing pricing covers PEO services, HR administration, benefits management, and HR consulting. PEO (Professional Employer Organization) services cost 2–10% of gross payroll; fractional HR support runs $1,500–$6,000/month; full HR outsourcing for 50–500 employee companies costs $4,000–$20,000/month.

Hourly Rate

$75–$200

Project Cost

$2,500–$25,000

Monthly Retainer

$1,500–$20,000

Typical Engagement

$10,000–$49,999

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Pricing Models

🤝

PEO (Co-Employment)

You co-employ workers through a PEO who handles payroll, benefits, compliance, and HR admin. Costs 2–10% of gross payroll.

Best for: Small companies wanting Fortune-500-level benefits and full HR compliance without an in-house HR team.

📋

HRO (HR Outsourcing)

Outsource specific HR functions (payroll, benefits admin, compliance) without co-employment. More flexible than PEO.

Best for: Mid-size companies wanting to outsource HR operations while retaining employer-of-record status.

👤

Fractional HR / vHR

Part-time HR Director or CHRO engaged at $2,000–$6,000/month. Handles strategy, compliance, and people issues fractionally.

Best for: Growing companies (30–150 employees) needing senior HR leadership without the $120,000+/year salary.

🎯

HR Project Consulting

Fixed-fee HR projects: employee handbook creation ($2,500–$5,000), compensation benchmarking, culture assessments.

Best for: One-time HR deliverables that don't require ongoing support.

Service Tiers

Basic HR Support

$1,500–$4,000/mo

HR administration support for small teams: employee documentation, policy templates, basic compliance guidance.

  • Employee handbook creation/updates
  • Onboarding/offboarding processes
  • HR policy development
  • Basic compliance guidance
  • HRIS setup and management
Most Popular

Full HR Management

$4,000–$10,000/mo

Comprehensive HR function management: recruiting support, performance management, compensation, and benefits admin.

  • Full-cycle recruiting support
  • Performance management framework
  • Compensation benchmarking
  • Benefits administration
  • HR metrics and reporting dashboard

Strategic HR

$10,000–$20,000+/mo

Senior HR leadership with organizational design, culture strategy, executive coaching, and HRIS implementation.

  • Fractional CHRO leadership
  • Organizational design and restructuring
  • Culture strategy and engagement programs
  • Executive coaching and leadership development
  • HRIS selection and implementation oversight

What Drives the Cost?

High

Employee Count

HR complexity and administrative work scale directly with headcount. PEO services price per employee; HRO typically prices per employee or on a flat retainer.

High

Compliance Complexity

Multi-state employment, international employees, or highly regulated industries (healthcare, finance) add significant compliance complexity and cost.

High

Benefits Administration

Comprehensive benefits (health, dental, vision, 401k) administration adds $50–$150/employee/month to HR outsourcing costs.

Medium

Recruiting Support

Active hiring programs requiring recruiter support add significantly to HR costs — often priced separately from base HR services.

Medium

HRIS Platform

Modern HRIS platforms (Workday, BambooHR, Rippling) cost $6–$20/employee/month but dramatically reduce HR admin labor.

Medium

Employee Relations

Complex employee relations situations (PIPs, terminations, investigations) require senior HR expertise at $150–$300/hr.

Rates by Location

RegionRate
🇺🇸United States$100–$250/hr
🇵🇭Philippines$15–$35/hr
🇮🇳India$12–$30/hr
🇵🇱Eastern Europe$25–$60/hr
🇨🇦Canada$75–$175/hr

Pricing FAQ

When should a startup hire their first in-house HR person?

The typical trigger is 25–40 employees. Below that, a fractional HR consultant ($2,000–$4,000/month) or PEO service provides better coverage at lower cost than a full-time HR generalist ($60,000–$85,000/year salary + benefits). Above 40 employees, the volume of day-to-day HR work justifies a dedicated person.

What is a PEO and is it right for my company?

A PEO (Professional Employer Organization) co-employs your workers, handling payroll taxes, workers' comp, benefits, and compliance under their master policies. This gives small companies access to Fortune-500-caliber benefits at group rates. The main tradeoff: you share employer-of-record status and pay a per-employee fee (typically $100–$200/employee/month).

How do I handle HR compliance across multiple states?

Multi-state compliance requires tracking each state's minimum wage, leave laws, paid sick time requirements, final paycheck rules, and tax withholding. Using a PEO, EOR (Employer of Record) service, or HRIS with multi-state compliance features dramatically reduces this risk. Non-compliance penalties can exceed $10,000+ per violation.

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