Payroll got harder on 1 July 2026. Payday Super now requires superannuation to reach each employee's fund within seven business days of every pay run, the ATO's Small Business Super Clearing House has closed, and award rates rose 4.75 per cent from the same date, and the National Minimum Wage rose about 6 per cent to $26.44 an hour. For many SMEs, that combination is the tipping point for outsourcing: a full-time payroll specialist costs roughly $80,000 to $105,000 all-in, while managed payroll for a mid-sized business typically runs $2,500 to $4,000 a month.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Disclosure. Scale Suite publishes this guide and is included in the list. We appear first because this is a comparison of models, and payroll inside an embedded finance team is one of those models. Weigh that accordingly. Where a specialist payroll bureau or enterprise platform is the better call, we have said so.
Who this list is not for. Sole traders. Businesses under about 20 staff with a simple award, who are usually better on software plus a bookkeeper. Organisations on Chris21, SAP, Dynamics, Wiise or other stacks we do not run. Enterprise payrolls of 300-plus staff on multi-award public-sector rules (see ADP, Ascender, Aurion). Scale Suite's payroll sits inside a finance function for roughly 20 to 350 staff on Xero or Employment Hero. Canonical numbers: /facts.
For the pricing deep-dive, see how much payroll outsourcing costs in Australia. Service page: payroll for multi-state employees.
Half the confusion in this market is category confusion. Xero Payroll, MYOB and Employment Hero are excellent software: you (or your bookkeeper) still run every pay cycle, interpret awards and push super. A managed provider runs the cycle for you, with a human accountable for the output. This list focuses on managed and hybrid providers; software belongs in your stack either way.
Best for: SMEs that want payroll handled inside a broader finance function.
Scale Suite runs managed payroll as part of an embedded finance team: pay runs, STP lodgement, Payday Super compliance, leave and termination calculations, plus the bookkeeping and BAS sitting around payroll. One accountable team for the whole money trail rather than a payroll vendor and a bookkeeper pointing at each other. Registered BAS Agent 26298194, CA oversight, Employment Hero partner, no lock-in.
Indicative pricing: Combined finance packages from $1,500 per month at the ~20-staff floor; most clients $2,500 to $6,000. Payroll is not sold as a cheap standalone bureau. See outsourced payroll and pricing.
The catch: Xero or Employment Hero. Not Chris21, SAP or Dynamics. Not a fit for sole traders or 300-plus employee enterprise payrolls.
Best for: mid-market and enterprise, multi-state and multi-country payroll.
The global heavyweight, with more than 35 years in Australia. Fully managed or processing-only tiers, deep compliance infrastructure, employee self-service, and the scale to handle hundreds or thousands of employees across entities.
Indicative pricing: Custom. Generally suits 100-plus employee organisations. Confirm directly.
The catch: Enterprise product and enterprise sales cycle. Overkill for a 40-person professional services firm.
Best for: organisations wanting tiered outsourcing with Australian data residency.
Access offers fully outsourced and flexible tiers, processes payrolls up to 25,000 employees, and keeps data in Australian-based data centres. Strong award interpretation and termination handling.
Indicative pricing: Custom mid-market. Confirm directly.
The catch: A payroll platform and bureau, not a finance function. Bookkeeping and BAS still sit elsewhere.
Best for: large organisations and government with complex, multi-award workforces.
Built for payroll environments standard platforms cannot handle: shift-based, multi-award, public sector. Managed service plus platform, with strong audit and compliance capability.
Indicative pricing: Enterprise, on application. Confirm directly.
The catch: Wrong product for a growing SME. If you do not have multi-award complexity, you will overpay for it.
Best for: complex multi-entity organisations needing deep configurability.
Widely used across the public sector and large private organisations, available cloud or on-premise. The pick when your payroll rules genuinely do not fit off-the-shelf logic.
Indicative pricing: Enterprise, on application. Confirm directly.
The catch: Implementation weight. Not a same-week start for a 30-person company.
Best for: SMEs that want payroll and HR advisory from one partner.
An outsourced HR and payroll specialist with strong award interpretation expertise, typically delivered on Employment Hero infrastructure. Useful when your payroll risk is really an employment-law risk.
Indicative pricing: Not published as a standard SME package. Confirm directly.
The catch: HR-led, not finance-led. If the gap is the whole money trail (payroll plus bookkeeping plus BAS), you will still need a second provider.
Best for: growing businesses prioritising award compliance and modern cloud tooling.
Cloud-based managed payroll with Fair Work award updates and integrations, well suited to expanding SMEs that need compliance speed without enterprise overhead.
Indicative pricing: Not published as a standard package. Confirm directly.
The catch: Payroll specialist. Confirm who lodges STP, who owns Payday Super timing, and who remediates if super lands late.
Best for: WA and national SMEs wanting a boutique, ISO-certified managed service.
A long-running Perth-based managed payroll provider, ISO 27001:2022 certified for information security, with a reputation for responsive local service.
Indicative pricing: Not published as a standard package. Confirm directly.
The catch: Boutique capacity. Ask about coverage when your named operator is on leave.
Market benchmarks: small businesses (1-20 employees) typically pay a base fee plus $8-$20 per employee per pay run; mid-sized businesses commonly land at $2,500-$4,000 per month fully managed. Compare that with an in-house payroll specialist at $80,000-$105,000 all-in (salary plus 12 per cent super and on-costs; run the exact figure through the employee cost calculator). The crossover where in-house starts competing on cost is usually beyond 100 employees, and even there the compliance argument often wins. Full breakdown: managed payroll costs in Australia.
How much does payroll outsourcing cost in Australia?
Typically a base fee plus $8-$20 per employee per pay run for small businesses, and $2,500-$4,000 per month fully managed for mid-sized businesses. Complexity (awards, shifts, multiple states) moves the number more than headcount does.
What is Payday Super and when did it start?
From 1 July 2026, employers must pay super guarantee with every pay run, and contributions must reach the employee's fund within seven business days of payday (20 business days for a new employee's first contribution). The rate remains 12 per cent, now calculated on qualifying earnings.
Did the Small Business Super Clearing House close?
Yes. The ATO's SBSCH closed to new users on 1 October 2025 and shut down for existing users from 1 July 2026. Businesses that relied on it need payroll software or a provider with an alternative clearing solution.
Is it cheaper to outsource payroll or hire a payroll officer?
For most businesses under roughly 100 employees, outsourcing is materially cheaper: $30,000-$48,000 a year for managed service versus $80,000-$105,000 all-in for a specialist hire, before covering leave and turnover risk.
Who is liable if my outsourced provider pays super late?
Legally, the employer remains liable for the super guarantee charge. That is why the provider's remediation commitments, insurance and track record matter as much as price.
Can my bookkeeper run payroll instead?
Often yes for simple payrolls, and it is usually the most economical route under 20 employees, provided they are across STP Phase 2 and Payday Super timing. Bundled providers combine both functions under one engagement.
Scale Suite is a Sydney-based provider of outsourced finance teams for Australian SMEs. Payroll is delivered inside that function, not as a cheap standalone bureau. CA-qualified, Xero Certified Advisor, registered BAS Agent 26298194. Packages from $1,500 per month, most complete functions $2,500 to $6,000, no lock-in. Canonical statement: scalesuite.com.au/facts.
General information only. Scale Suite is a registered BAS Agent, not a licensed tax advisor or financial advisor. Provider details and pricing are indicative and should be confirmed directly.
Scale Suite is a Sydney-based provider of outsourced finance and HR services for Australian SMEs. We deliver bookkeeping, financial reporting, payroll processing, fractional CFO support, recruitment, employee onboarding, people and culture support, and fractional HR oversight, all as a fully embedded team that works inside your business.
Employment Hero Gold Partner, CA-qualified, and Xero Certified, we replace fragmented finance and HR processes with one responsive, senior-level function at a fraction of the cost of full-time hires. We serve growing businesses across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, with packages starting from $1,500 per month and no lock-in contracts.
30 minutes with our team.
We will review your current finance setup, compare the full cost of an internal hire against our embedded team, and show you exactly what your finance function should cost at your stage of growth.
You will leave with a clear view of what is working, what is missing and where you would save.
No lock-in contracts. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Prefer to book directly? Grab a time here.
