PEO companies in Utah: license rules, costs and scores

By the HRPricing editorial teamReviewed October 17, 2026How we research and score

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Utah requires PEOs to be licensed under its Professional Employer Organization Licensing Act, part of the state Insurance Code (Utah Code 31A-40). A 10-person Utah business pays $14,900 to $20,300 a year in Justworks PEO fees plus unemployment tax, using Justworks' published $79 to $124 per employee per month (checked October 16, 2026) and Utah's 1% minimum new employer rate on a $50,700 wage base.

Utah also cut its flat income tax to 4.45% for 2026, retroactive to January 1, with new withholding tables only from June 1. That mid-year change is a good test of any PEO you are considering.

A PEO in Utah is a professional employer organization licensed under the Utah PEO Licensing Act (Utah Code 31A-40) that co-employs a client's workers.

See Justworks pricing on Justworks’s siteSee TriNet pricing on TriNet’s site
On this page
  1. Licensing under the Insurance Code
  2. How Utah sets your unemployment rate
  3. Ten Utah employees: what you pay
  4. The 2026 income tax change as a PEO test
  5. Utah PEO scores
  6. Pay rules and leaving a Utah PEO
  7. Questions for a Utah PEO

Licensing under the Insurance Code

Utah regulates PEOs through Title 31A, its Insurance Code. The Department of Workforce Services unemployment FAQ cites section 31A-40-102. We did not find a public list of licensed PEOs, so ask the PEO for its Utah license number and the legal entity it covers, then check that entity against the IRS active CPEO list (August 7, 2026) on our IRS CPEO list page.

How Utah sets your unemployment rate

Utah has no single new employer rate. DWS gives new accounts a basic rate equal to the two-year average benefit cost ratio of their industry, with a 1% minimum, and applies a social cost factor fixed at 0.001 for all employers. New out-of-state contractors start at the 7.1% maximum. The 2026 wage base is $50,700, high enough that a $50,000 salary is taxed in full.

Two consequences for a PEO quote: the unemployment line is larger than in states with a $7,000 base, and it depends on your industry. A 1% delinquency surcharge applies if prior fiscal year contributions went unpaid, which is worth asking about if your PEO pays the tax from its account.

Ten Utah employees: what you pay

The table uses the 1% floor; replace it with your assigned rate. Each extra point adds $5,000 for this team.

Yearly employer cost for 10 Utah employees paid $50,000 each, on top of wages
Cost lineHow it is figuredPer year
Justworks PEO Basic fee$79 x 10 employees x 12 months$9,480
Justworks PEO Plus fee$124 x 10 employees x 12 months$14,880
Industry admin fee range (estimate)$40 to $160 x 10 x 12 (ADP guide, July 14, 2026)$4,800 to $19,200
FUTA0.6% net x first $7,000 x 10$420
Utah UI (DWS), at the 1% floor1% minimum industry rate x $50,000 x 10 (pay is under the $50,700 base)$5,000
Justworks fee plus unemployment tax at the 1% floorBasic or Plus fee + FUTA and Utah UI ($5,420 together)$14,900 to $20,300
Employer FICA (owed with or without a PEO)7.65% x $50,000 x 10$38,250
All-in with Justworks, before health premiums and workers' compLine above + employer FICA$53,150 to $58,550
All-in at the industry fee range$40 or $160 fee + all taxes above$48,470 to $62,870

Utah DWS tax rate FAQ (rate rules, $50,700 base, 0.001 social cost factor not added here). Justworks list prices checked 10/16/2026; ADP industry range dated 7/14/2026. Out-of-state contractors new to Utah start at 7.1% instead: $35,500 for this team.

Health premiums and workers' comp come on top. Utah requires workers' comp for employers with 1 or more employees, with few exceptions, and has no monopolistic state fund. See what goes into a PEO bill.

The 2026 income tax change as a PEO test

S.B. 60 lowered Utah's flat income tax from 4.5% to 4.45%, retroactive to January 1, 2026, and Publication 14 (rev. April 2026) tables apply to pay periods beginning on or after June 1, 2026. Ask a PEO how it handled the change: whether it updated withholding on time and what it told employees about January to May. A clear answer is a good sign; a vague one tells you how a harder issue might go. Our Utah payroll tax guide covers withholding and DWS registration.

Utah PEO scores

Justworks (67) leads on published pricing, TriNet (50) on support and ADP TotalSource (44) on benefits breadth. None names Utah on the pages we read (October 16, 2026).

PEO scores out of 100, with Utah coverage as each PEO publishes it
PEOScorePublished priceOn IRS CPEO list (Aug 7, 2026)Utah coverage
1. Justworks67$79 to $124 per employee per monthYes (Justworks Employment Group LLC and 3 related)Not confirmed: Multi-state stated, no state list
2. TriNet50Quote onlyYes (TriNet HR III-B, Inc.)Not confirmed: Multi-state stated, no state list
3. ADP TotalSource44Quote onlyYes (ADP TotalSource, Inc. and related)Not confirmed: Multi-state stated, no state list
4. Paychex PEO34Quote onlyYes (Paychex PEO VI LLC, VII, Oasis HR Solutions III)Not confirmed: Multi-state stated, no state list
5. Insperity33Quote onlyYes (Insperity PEO HR, Inc.; Insperity PEO Services, L.P.)Not confirmed: Not stated
6. BBSI26Quote onlyNot foundNot confirmed: Multi-state support, no state list
7. Amplify HR Management23Quote onlyYes (Amplify HR Management, LLC)Not confirmed: Not stated
8. ExtensisHR22Quote onlyYes (Extensis Inc. and 5 related)Not confirmed: "Across the country", no state list
9. Engage PEO21Quote onlyYes (Engage PEO, LLC)Not confirmed: Not stated
10. PrestigePEO20Quote onlyYes (3 Prestige entities)Not confirmed: "National", no state list
11. Questco20Quote onlyYes (QUESTCO HR LLC)Not confirmed: "From Arizona to Nebraska and beyond"
12. Sequoia One17Quote onlyYes (Sequoia One PEO, LLC)Not confirmed: Not stated
13. Rippling PEO11Quote onlyNot found under the Rippling nameNot confirmed: Not stated
14. G&A Partners8Not verifiedLikely match, unconfirmedNot confirmed: Not verified (site blocked)
15. Vensure8Quote onlyNot found under the Vensure nameNot confirmed: Not stated

Utah service: PEO websites, October 16, 2026. CPEO: IRS report of August 7, 2026. Scores (October 17, 2026) follow these rules. Utah licenses not matched.

Justworks PEO price list on Justworks’s site TriNet pricing request on TriNet’s site

Evidence behind each score: Justworks, TriNet, full ranking.

Pay rules and leaving a Utah PEO

  • Minimum wage: $7.25; tipped cash wage $2.13 with a $5.12 tip credit.
  • Paydays: semi-monthly; staff on a yearly salary may be paid monthly.
  • Final pay: within 24 hours for a fired employee; by the next regular payday for one who quits without a written contract.
  • Paid leave programs: none found; the absence was not confirmed on an official page.

Some owners leave a PEO but keep its payroll. An ADP TotalSource customer on Capterra (May 24, 2024, more than two years old) wrote "I am keeping the payroll and dumping TS." If you leave a certified PEO mid-year, the CPEO successor rule means Social Security and FUTA wage bases do not restart. Compare the options in PEO or payroll service.

Questions for a Utah PEO

  1. What is your Utah license number under 31A-40, and which entity does it cover?
  2. What industry rate will DWS assign us, and does your quote include the social cost factor?
  3. How did you apply the 4.45% rate change, and when?
  4. Which workers' comp carrier covers us, and at what class rates?
  5. What does it cost to leave, and how long can we download payroll records?

Frequently asked questions

Do PEOs need a license in Utah?
Yes. Utah requires PEOs to be licensed under the Professional Employer Organization Licensing Act in its Insurance Code (Utah Code 31A-40). We did not find a public list of license holders, so ask the PEO for its license number.
How much does a PEO cost in Utah?
Justworks posts $79 to $124 per employee per month (checked October 16, 2026). Most others quote only; ADP's July 14, 2026 guide gives an industry range of $40 to $160 per employee per month or 2% to 12% of payroll. Utah UI adds at least 1% on the first $50,700 of each new employee's pay.
What is the Utah unemployment rate for a new employer in 2026?
Utah gives new employers the average benefit cost rate of their industry, with a 1% minimum, plus a 0.001 social cost factor. New out-of-state contractors start at 7.1%. The 2026 wage base is $50,700, per the Department of Workforce Services.
What is the Utah income tax withholding rate in 2026?
Utah's flat rate is 4.45% for 2026 under S.B. 60, retroactive to January 1, 2026 and down from 4.5%. Publication 14 tables reflecting it apply to pay periods beginning on or after June 1, 2026.
When is final pay due in Utah?
A fired employee must receive all wages within 24 hours of separation. An employee who quits without a written contract is paid on the next regular payday.
Sources (11)
  1. Justworks: Justworks pricing (PEO Basic and PEO Plus) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
  2. TriNet: TriNet PEO pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
  3. ADP: What is the cost of a PEO (updated July 14, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
  4. IRS: Active certified PEO list (report date Aug 7, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
  5. Utah Department of Workforce Services: Unemployment tax rates FAQ (checked Oct 16, 2026)
  6. Utah Department of Workforce Services: Employer registration (checked Oct 16, 2026)
  7. Utah State Tax Commission: Withholding (checked Oct 16, 2026)
  8. Utah Labor Commission: Industrial Accidents Division (checked Oct 16, 2026)
  9. Utah Labor Commission: Wage claims (checked Oct 16, 2026)
  10. Capterra: ADP TotalSource reviews, page 4 (checked Oct 2026)
  11. IRS: Certified professional employer organization (checked Oct 16, 2026)

This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Rules and rates change, so check the official source linked above before you file or sign a contract. Read our disclaimer.

Checked Oct 17See Justworks pricing on Justworks’s site