6 Best Payroll Services in Kansas City, MO

Updated: April 1, 2025

Discover the best payroll services in Kansas City with our expert reviews to help your business succeed.

Payroll services in Kansas City provide local businesses with significant benefits. They save time and money, ensure compliance with state and federal laws, and improve the accuracy of payments.

Justworks logo
4.5

Offers a payroll-only plan

Get Started
OnPay logo
4.8
Best Pick

Integrates with leading HR platforms

Get Started
Paycor logo
4.8

Process payroll anywhere

Start Free Trial

Compare the best payroll companies in Kansas City

As a business owner in Kansas City, you have access to plenty of payroll service providers, but finding the one that works best for your business is time-consuming. We took the time to review the best and compared their reputations, services offered, cost, customer support, and more to help you make an informed decision. Here are the top companies we recommend:

Company NameOnPayJustworksPaycor
Best forFull-Service PayrollOutsourcing PayrollGrowing and Scaling
In Business Since200720121990
Starting Price$40/month + $6/month/person$50/month + $8/month/personVaries
Direct Deposit
Tax ComplianceMulti-State, FederalMulti-State, FederalMulti-State, Federal
B2B Reviews Rating4.84.54.8
ReviewsRead ReviewsRead ReviewsRead Reviews

Kansas City's Best Payroll Companies

#1

OnPay

Editorial Rating

4.8
OnPay logo
  • Easy-to-use interface
  • Unlimited payroll runs
  • Straightforward pricing
  • Includes rich HR features
  • Extended customer support hours

OnPay is a stand-out payroll software for Kansas City businesses. Customers praise it for its simplified systems and friendly, helpful customer service. The feature-rich platform combines a straightforward pricing strategy with both payroll and HR tools that help small to mid-size businesses thrive.

Some payroll features include multiple state payroll runs, tax filings, multiple pay options, rates, schedules, garnishments and withholdings, an employee self-service portal, deep software integrations, and award-winning customer service.

#2

Justworks

Editorial Rating

4.5
Justworks logo
  • Reduced pricing as you grow
  • Price reductions and discounts available to select business models
  • Multiple forms of 24/7 customer service
  • Robust compliance tools
  • IRS-certified and ESAC-accredited to ensure compliance

While Justworks is technically a PEO, it offers robust payroll features and simplifies complex HR tasks, like benefits and payroll. Justworks covers payroll, benefits, compliance, hiring and onboarding, and so much more, allowing you time to focus on core business functions.

#3

Paycor

Editorial Rating

4.8
Paycor logo
  • AutoRun payroll
  • Tax compliance
  • 14-day free trial
  • Unlimited payroll runs
  • Core HR features included

Paycor is a versatile human capital management (HCM) software designed to support businesses throughout the entire employee lifecycle, from recruitment and hiring to termination and offboarding. When it comes to payroll services, Paycor offers many features, such as tax compliance, an employee self-portal, a mobile app, and flexible pay options.

Because payroll is just a portion of Paycor’s offerings, Paycor also comes with document management, workflow automation, and performance management. At the same time, you can add features ranging from recruiting, time and scheduling, and benefits administrations.

#4

The Payroll Company

    Address:
    1001 E 101st Terrace Building 1, Ste 310
    Kansas City, MO 64131

    Phone: (816) 442-4609

    The Payroll Company helps small businesses hire and pay their employees. They help companies build, maintain, and expand through one-click payroll, time & attendance, employee portals, and HR management. The Payroll Company dedicates its service to small businesses in Kansas City, ensuring that every need is met.

    #5

    T. Williams & Associates

      Address:
      200 NE Missouri Road, Suite 200
      Lee’s Summit, MO 64086

      Phone: (877) 573-5043

      T. Williams & Associates offers both accounting and payroll services to businesses in Kansas City. It provides full-service and small business payroll with features like direct deposits, tax calculations, tax returns, time and attendance, background checks, and workers’ comp assistance. T. Williams & Associates makes payroll simple for the small business owner, allowing them to focus on company growth.

      #6

      Emerson & Company

        Address:
        1001 Westport Rd.
        Kansas City, MO 64111

        Phone: (816)-360-9092

        Emerson & Company offers integrated payroll services to businesses as well as bookkeeping, insurance, and merchant services. It handles all of the complicated aspects of payroll, like employee classification, W2s, overtime payments, taxable items, and garnishments and levies. With Emerson & Company, small businesses in Kansas City can save time, improve data security, and reduce many overhead costs.

        How do payroll services work in Kansas City?

        Payroll services work by taking tedious tasks and simplifying them. They handle many things like

        • Wage calculations and processing,
        • Taxes withholdings,
        • Time and attendance reports,
        • Compliance issues with local and federal labor laws.

        As you can see, payroll services do many things for Kansas City, MO, businesses. In fact, they are an essential aspect of running a successful business. Employers are required to ensure their employees are paid on time and correctly. They must ensure that the proper taxes are withheld and that employees are paid for the correct number of hours worked. This is a challenging and time-consuming responsibility.

        When businesses utilize Kansas City payroll services, they don’t have to worry about payroll being done incorrectly or taking a long time. Additionally, using a payroll service helps businesses avoid costly mistakes and legal mishaps.

        However, the benefits of payroll services do not stop there. Owners can gain valuable insights into their labor costs when they outsource payroll. You can access live data that helps you make important decisions about labor costs and more.

        With payroll services, business owners gain one of the most valuable commodities—time.

        How much do payroll services cost in Kansas City?

        Payroll companies in Kansas City can cost anywhere from $20 to $300 a month, with an additional $4 to $10 per employee. However, this is just an estimate, as actual costs vary depending on a wide range of factors.

        Some factors that will influence the monthly cost of payroll services include:

        • Size of company or number of employees
        • Types of services needed
        • Distribution of benefits
        • Filing of taxes
        • Type of packages offered

        Businesses with a few employees and basic payroll needs can expect to pay less than a large organization with thousands of employees and advanced payroll needs. Overall, the cost of payroll largely depends on your unique business.

        It’s important to consider the immense value these services provide when deciding if you want to outsource your payroll. Payroll providers save you time and money and avoid legal issues. They allow you to focus on growing your business and revenue. And finally, they keep your employees satisfied with timely and accurate payments.

        Before you settle on a provider, research different payroll services and compare their prices and services. Testing product demos to find the payroll service that fits your business needs and budget is also important.

        Payroll laws in Missouri

        Payroll laws in Kansas City, MO, apply to all businesses operating in the city, including those in surrounding neighborhoods and suburbs. However, Kansas City, Kansas, follows different state laws, so knowing which side of the border your business is on is important.

        It’s vital for Kansas City, Missouri, employers to understand and follow the payroll laws to avoid fines and penalties. Here are some key payroll laws that businesses in Kansas City, as well as neighborhoods and suburbs such as Parkville, Independence, Gladstone, Liberty, and Raytown, should be aware of:

        Minimum Wage: In Missouri, the minimum wage is $13.75 per hour as of January 1, 2025. Employers in Kansas City, Parkville, Independence, and the surrounding areas must pay their employees at least this amount. Additionally, employers must clearly display a summary of the minimum wage law in the office space. The Department of Labor in Missouri has these posters available in English and Spanish.

        Overtime: Employers must pay their non-exempt employees time and a half for every hour worked over 40 in a single workweek. Unlike some other states, Missouri does not have a daily overtime limit to worry about.

        Payroll Taxes: Employers in Kansas City and the surrounding areas must withhold a certain number of taxes from their employees’ paychecks. These include state and federal income taxes, Social Security taxes, and Medicaid. Also, employers with more than 250 employees must submit the W-2 Forms electronically.

        Final Wages: Missouri follows an Employment-At-Will doctrine which allows both employers and employees to terminate their employment whenever (barring any contracts to the contrary). In this instance, employers must pay all due wages at the time of dismissal.

        Workers’ Comp and Unemployment Insurance: Employers in Kansas City, Gladstone, Liberty, Raytown, and others are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance in case an employee is injured at work. They must also provide the Division of Employment Security (DES) information on employee wages each quarter. Should an employee file for unemployment, the DES will use this data to determine how much money they receive.

        Missouri businesses must comply with many other laws and regulations, and keeping track of them all can be overwhelming. Despite this, it’s important for businesses to stay up-to-date and informed on these laws as they change. Luckily, the payroll services Kansas City offers ensure that you remain compliant and never have to stress about payroll laws.

        The Bottom Line

        When you choose a reputable payroll provider to support your Kansas City business, you benefit from improved accuracy, reduced administrative burdens, adherence to laws, and better insights into labor costs. Furthermore, many payroll services offer additional HR tools like onboarding software, time and attendance tracking, and benefits administration, which streamline the HR process significantly.

        Payroll services come with many benefits and provide invaluable support, enhancing HR and payroll functions. By choosing a reputable provider who understands you and your business, you can ensure accurate and compliant payroll and focus on cultivating your company.

        The methodology behind our rankings

        We considered key factors when selecting the best payroll service providers for small businesses in Kansas City, MO:

        Services offered: We made sure the payroll companies we chose offered key services like payroll processing, tax filing, direct deposit, and employee self-service.

        Cost: We compared the pricing plans of different payroll providers and chose those that fit most budgets. We also prioritized companies that offered flexible pricing plans that could scale up or down depending on your business needs.

        Reputation and experience: We looked for payroll service providers with good reputations as well as years of industry experience. We checked customer reviews and testimonials to help gauge providers’ reliability and customer service.

        Technology: We selected payroll services with up-to-date technology that could automate payroll processes and provide online access to payroll data.

        Compliance: We made sure the payroll service providers on our list were knowledgeable and compliant with federal and state payroll laws and regulations.

        Customer support: We looked for payroll service providers with excellent customer support that could address customer questions and concerns in a timely manner.

        Scalability: We chose payroll providers that could accommodate growing businesses, providing services for businesses of all sizes.

        Integrations: We considered payroll services that could integrate with other business software, such as accounting or time and attendance tracking, to streamline processes and reduce errors.