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Agency Payroll: What Does It Actually Cost? | BEG (2026)
A marketing agency payroll cost calculation has three inputs: headcount, the marketing agency pay codes that have to be built (1099 vs W-2 freelancer classification and project-based bonuses), and the wage base, which at the BLS national median for market research analysts and marketing specialists is $78,760. BEG: $25 per employee per month in your existing platform or $45 on isolved, live in 3 to 5 days.
Managed payroll by headcount for a marketing agency
10 employees: $500 a month, $50 per employee; 25 employees: $625 to $1,125 a month, $25 to $45 per employee; 50 employees: $1,250 to $2,250 a month, $25 to $45 per employee; 100 employees: $2,500 to $4,500 a month, $25 to $45 per employee. The lower figure is the $25 rate inside your existing platform, the higher is $45 on BEG's isolved HCM, and the $500 monthly minimum is why the per-employee figure is high at 10. Nothing in the marketing agency setup, 1099 vs W-2 freelancer classification, project-based bonuses, multi-state remote teams and billable vs internal payroll allocation, is billed as an add-on.
The employer-side tax that rides on every marketing agency wage
At the May 2025 national median for market research analysts and marketing specialists, $78,760 a year or about $38 an hour, the employer share of Social Security and Medicare is $6,025 per employee per year and FUTA is $42 after the state credit, before state unemployment at the assigned rate. Those costs are the same whoever runs payroll; the calculator question is only who does the work and who carries the error.
The in-house line in the calculation
BLS OEWS May 2025: payroll and timekeeping clerks, national median $58,260, mean $59,630. Add roughly 30 percent for benefits and employer taxes and the software that person runs, and set it against the headcount row above. For most marketing agencies the lines cross well under 100 employees.
Read the full guide to instant managed payroll pricing, and the rest of the marketing agency payroll library.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does managed payroll cost a marketing agency with 25 employees?
$625 a month in your existing platform or $1,125 on BEG's isolved HCM, all-inclusive.
What is the employer payroll tax on one of the market research analysts and marketing specialists?
$6,025 a year in Social Security and Medicare at the $78,760 BLS OEWS May 2025 national median, plus $42 FUTA and state unemployment.
Is the marketing agency pay code setup an extra charge?
No. 1099 vs W-2 freelancer classification, project-based bonuses and multi-state remote teams are configured at implementation inside the per-employee rate.
What does managed payroll cost for a marketing agency?
$25 per employee per month inside your existing platform or $45 on BEG's isolved HCM, all-inclusive, with a $500 monthly minimum. 1099 vs W-2 freelancer classification, project-based bonuses and multi-state remote teams are configured at setup, not billed as add-ons.
Related Resources
Anthony leads payroll solutions at Business Executive Group, a national managed payroll firm serving businesses across industries including Marketing & PR Agencies. BEG manages payroll at $25-$45 PEPM, all-inclusive, with deep expertise in compliance, multi-state filing, and industry-specific payroll requirements. Get instant pricing at beghr.com.
Authoritative source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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