Managed Payroll vs. Wave Payroll
Wave costs $40 a month plus $6 per employee, and at small headcount that is hard to beat. What it does not include is anyone to call when a garnishment order arrives, a state sends a notice, or you hire in a second state.
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Why Buyers Leave Wave Payroll
Wave is a tool, not a team. There is no payroll specialist assigned to your account, so when a garnishment order, a state tax notice, or an agency letter arrives, the research and the response are entirely on you.
Complexity is where it stops scaling. Multi-state hiring, certified payroll, tipped wages, commission structures, and multiple EINs are the situations that break a self-service tool, and they tend to arrive right when you are busiest.
The cost advantage is real and it narrows fast. At 10 employees Wave runs $100 a month. At 50 it is $340, and you are still the one doing the work, absorbing the compliance risk, and answering every paycheck question yourself.
Side by Side
| Factor | BEG Managed Payroll | Wave Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost (50 employees) | $1,250-$2,250 all-in | $340, plus your time and risk |
| Who runs payroll | BEG: fully managed | You, inside Wave |
| Dedicated specialist | Yes | No -- self-service only |
| Multi-state filing | Included | Limited, manual setup |
| Garnishments handled | Yes -- end to end | You process manually |
| Compliance notices | BEG responds for you | You research and respond |
The BEG Difference
Common objection: "You are obviously going to tell me to switch."
We are not. BEG carries a $500 monthly minimum, so at 10 employees you would pay $500 against the $100 you pay Wave and the value is not there yet. Wave is the right call at that size and we will say so on the call. Come back when headcount, states, or complexity have grown. That is when this changes.
Common objection: "We are only at 25 people. Is it really time?"
Headcount is the wrong signal. The real triggers are your second state, your first garnishment order, tipped or commission pay, certified payroll on a public project, or a second EIN. Any one of those turns a self-service tool into a weekly research project. If none apply, you are fine where you are.
Common objection: "I do not know whether we have actually outgrown it."
We run a short structured review: headcount trajectory, states, pay types, EINs, and hours currently spent per cycle. You get a written read on whether Wave still fits, with a specific answer either way. Free, no obligation, and a "stay on Wave" verdict is a perfectly normal outcome.
The Math
BEG managed payroll is $25-$45 per employee per month, all-inclusive. One flat rate that covers every cycle, every filing, every year-end form.
Onboarding Capacity
To guarantee a flawless first payroll cycle, BEG limits new managed payroll onboards to 3 per month. Get your quote this week to secure your slot in the next available onboarding cohort.
We review your setup and send your exact monthly cost within 24 hours. No commitment required.
Common Questions
Wave Payroll in the US is a $40 monthly base fee plus $6 per active employee or paid independent contractor per month, with no setup fee. As of April 2025 Wave unified pricing across all 50 states, with the base fee including automatic tax payments and filings.
The common triggers are hiring in a second state, receiving a first garnishment order, adding tipped or commission pay, taking on certified payroll work, or operating a second EIN. Each of those turns routine payroll into research, which is where a self-service tool stops paying for itself.
Yes, on the invoice, and we will not pretend otherwise. Wave is software at $40 plus $6 per employee. BEG is a managed service at $25 to $45 PEPM with a $500 monthly minimum. The comparison only favors BEG once your time and compliance exposure enter the math, which is typically past 25 to 30 employees or at the first real complexity event.
Not typically. Wave is built as a self-service product without the multi-user service access managed providers need. Moving from Wave usually means moving to isolved, which BEG handles end to end with no implementation fee.
Live payroll typically runs 3 to 5 business days from signing. BEG handles employee records, YTD balances, tax setup, and state registrations, and runs a parallel cycle before go-live so nothing lands wrong on the first real run.
Managed Payroll by Industry
Industry-specific payroll compliance and processing, fully managed at $25-$45 PEPM.
Industry-specific payroll compliance and processing, fully managed at $25-$45 PEPM.
Industry-specific payroll compliance and processing, fully managed at $25-$45 PEPM.
Industry-specific payroll compliance and processing, fully managed at $25-$45 PEPM.
View the full managed payroll hub: industries, states, pricing, and how it works.
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