Editorial Standards

Our Methodology

How we research, evaluate, and present PEO companies — and what our editorial and commercial standards are.

How we source PEO data

Our directory data is sourced from the following primary sources:

IRS CPEO Public Listings

The official IRS list of Certified Professional Employer Organizations, available at irs.gov. This is our primary source for CPEO certification status.

State labor department registrations

Several states require PEOs to register or obtain licenses. We collect and incorporate these lists where publicly available.

Direct PEO company outreach

We contact PEO companies directly to verify and supplement information including states served, employee size ranges, and services offered.

Public business records

State business registration filings, NAPEO membership lists, and other publicly available business information.

Listing criteria

To be listed in the PEO Authority directory, a company must be an active Professional Employer Organization or Administrative Services Organization operating in the United States. We do not require payment or any commercial arrangement to receive a standard directory listing.

Companies found to have misrepresented their services, lost licensing, or had CPEO certification revoked are removed from the directory.

Featured listings

Featured placements on state directory pages are paid visibility opportunities available to PEO companies that meet our baseline listing criteria. Featured PEOs appear in a highlighted section above standard listings and are clearly labeled as featured.

To be eligible for a featured placement, a company must be an active, legitimate PEO serving the relevant state. Featured status does not imply editorial endorsement — our independent editorial ratings and profile content are maintained separately from commercial arrangements.

Featured placement pricing is available on our Advertise page.

Page ownership

PEO companies may purchase Page Ownership for their directory profile. Page Ownership unlocks the ability to add company-authored content, display a company logo, receive direct lead inquiries, and have leads routed directly to their team rather than through our referral network.

Pages with active Page Ownership display a Verified badge and a "From [Company]" content tab that is clearly distinguished from our independent editorial content. Our editorial ratings, pros and cons, and editorial notes remain independently written and are not influenced by Page Ownership status.

Lead referral disclosure

PEO Authority operates a lead referral program. When a business submits a quote request through our platform, that inquiry may be routed to one or more PEO providers or to a licensed PEO broker. We may receive compensation when a referred business ultimately engages a PEO through our referral process.

Referral compensation does not influence directory placement, editorial ratings, profile content, or any other editorial decision. Standard listings are available to all qualifying PEOs at no cost.

Editorial independence

Our editorial content — including company descriptions, pros and cons assessments, editorial notes, and Best For recommendations — is written independently of any commercial relationship. We aim to present an honest, balanced view of each provider, including limitations alongside strengths.

PEO companies may not pay to alter, remove, or influence our independently written editorial content. Commercial arrangements are limited to featured placement visibility, page ownership features, and lead routing — all of which are clearly disclosed on this page and labeled within the directory.

Corrections and updates

PEO data changes — companies are acquired, expand to new states, or change their service offerings. We update our directory regularly and provide a report mechanism on every company profile page.

If you identify inaccurate information about a company, please use the contact form to let us know. We investigate all reports and aim to correct verified inaccuracies within 5 business days.