Paychex Flex® pricing
Partial pricing Verified . See the pricing page ↗
Paychex publishes a price for Paychex Flex Essentials; its other plans are quote-only. Paychex Flex Essentials already covers multi-state payroll. Enter your headcount to see which plan you'd be on and what you'd pay this year.
Plans
| Paychex Flex Essentials | Paychex Flex Select | Paychex Flex Pro | Paychex Flex Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base fee | $39/month source | Not published source | Not published source | Not published source |
| Per employee | $5 per employee/month source | Not published source | Not published source | Not published source |
| Per contractor | Not published source | Not published source | Not published source | Not published source |
| Per payroll run | None source | None source | None source | None source |
| Additional states | Not published source | None source | None source | None source |
| W-2 forms | Not published source | Not published source | Not published source | Not published source |
| 1099 forms | Not published source | Not published source | Not published source | Not published source |
| Monthly minimum | None source | None source | None source | None source |
| One-time setup | None source | None source | None source | None source |
What's included on each plan
| Paychex Flex Essentials | Paychex Flex Select | Paychex Flex Pro | Paychex Flex Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employees in more than one state | Included | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page |
| 1099 contractor payments | Included | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page |
| Files federal and state payroll taxes for you | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Time tracking | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page |
| Health benefits administration | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page |
| Workers comp administration | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page |
| HR tools (documents, onboarding) | Add-on, price not published | Not available | Not available | Included |
| Next-day direct deposit | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page |
| City or local payroll tax filing | Included | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page |
| Tipped employees | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page |
| Accountant access | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page | Not stated on Paychex's pricing page |
Before you choose Paychex
- Flex Essentials is the only Paychex plan with a published price. It’s built for businesses with fewer than 20 employees and contractors who want to sign up online, without a sales call.
- Essentials calculates, pays and files your federal, state and local payroll taxes. W-2s and 1099s cost extra, and Paychex doesn’t say how much. It also notes that tax administration fees may apply.
- Select, Pro and Enterprise are quote-only. With 20 or more people, or if you need HR tools, expect to talk to sales.
Worked examples
1 employee, 1 state
$528/year on Paychex Flex Essentials. Paychex Flex Essentials is the entry plan and covers everything you need.
Medium confidence: Paychex doesn’t say what it charges for W-2 forms, so this total doesn’t include it. Your actual cost may be higher.
5 employees, 1 state
$768/year on Paychex Flex Essentials. Paychex Flex Essentials is the entry plan and covers everything you need.
Medium confidence: Paychex doesn’t say what it charges for W-2 forms, so this total doesn’t include it. Your actual cost may be higher.
10 employees, 2 states
$1,068/year on Paychex Flex Essentials. Paychex Flex Essentials is the entry plan and covers everything you need.
Low confidence: Paychex doesn’t say what it charges for additional states or W-2 forms, so this total doesn’t include them. Your actual cost may be higher.
25 employees, 1 state
Paychex Flex Select is the lowest Paychex plan for your headcount. Paychex doesn’t publish a price for it, so you’ll need a quote.
Other payroll providers
Frequently asked questions
Does Paychex publish its pricing?
Partly. Some Paychex plans publish prices and some require a quote. Each figure on this page is marked either with its source or as not published.
What does Paychex cost for a business with 5 employees?
About $768 a year on the Paychex Flex Essentials plan for 5 employees in one state paid biweekly, based on prices verified on October 29, 2026. Enter your own headcount in the calculator for a figure that matches your business.
Which Paychex plan do I need?
It depends on what your business requires. Multi-state payroll, contractor payments, time tracking and similar needs are only on some tiers. The calculator picks the cheapest plan that meets your requirements and tells you which requirement ruled the others out.