What states does Gusto serve?

Gusto provides PEO services in all 50 states across the United States.

What size companies does Gusto work with?

Gusto typically serves businesses with 2 to 500 employees. If your company is outside this range, contact them directly to discuss your options.

What services does Gusto provide?

Gusto offers the following HR and employer services: Payroll Processing, Employee Benefits, HR Management, Compliance Support, Time & Attendance.

How do I get a quote from Gusto?

You can request a quote using the contact form on this page. Our advisory team will review your business and match you with the PEO provider — or providers — best suited to your needs, which may include Gusto.

Gusto

Q: Is Gusto IRS CPEO certified?

Gusto is not currently listed as an IRS Certified Professional Employer Organization (CPEO). This does not necessarily indicate a problem — many reputable PEOs operate without CPEO certification. We recommend verifying their financial stability, NAPEO membership, and state licensing status.

National PEOCA-Headquartered

San Francisco, CA·Founded 2011·Serving 2-500 employees

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All 50

States Served

Services

Industries

2-500

Serving

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About Gusto

Gusto is a San Francisco-based technology company founded in 2011, originally under the name ZenPayroll before rebranding to Gusto in 2015. Gusto built its reputation as a payroll and HR software platform for small businesses, supporting more than 400,000 companies nationwide. In its long-standing core product, Gusto does not enter co-employment: the client business remains the sole legal employer, while Gusto processes payroll, files taxes, and administers benefits through third party carrier partnerships. More recently, Gusto has built out a genuine co-employment Professional Employer Organization offering, Gusto PEO, staffed by a dedicated PEO sales and compliance team, in which Gusto becomes the employer of record for tax and benefits purposes, similar to a traditional PEO, while retaining the software experience Gusto is known for. Businesses evaluating Gusto for co-employment should confirm they are being offered the actual PEO product rather than the standard software subscription, since the two are structured very differently. Gusto is not currently IRS CPEO certified.

Certification Status

Not IRS CPEO Certified

Gusto does not currently hold IRS CPEO certification. This does not necessarily indicate a problem — many reputable PEOs operate without it. We recommend verifying their financial stability, NAPEO membership, and state licensing directly.

Why businesses choose Gusto

✓A genuine co-employment PEO product, launched as a newer business line backed by a dedicated PEO sales and compliance team

✓Same modern, well-reviewed software experience as the long-standing Gusto payroll and HR platform, extended into the PEO offering

✓Straightforward transition path for businesses already using Gusto payroll and HR tools

✓Support for all 50 states through the same underlying platform

✓Transparent, published pricing on the core software platform, unlike most legacy PEOs

Company Details

Headquarters

San Francisco, CA

Founded

2011

Serving

2-500 employees

CPEO Certified

Coverage

Nationwide

Company Type

National PEO

Gusto in Your State

Browse PEO options and compare providers in each state where Gusto operates.

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Pros & Cons

Pros

✓

Modern platform

Same intuitive software experience as the core Gusto product, carried into the PEO offering.

✓

Easy transition for existing customers

Businesses already on Gusto payroll and HR software can move into the PEO product without switching platforms.

✓

All 50 states supported

Multi-state payroll and compliance handled through the same platform used by the core Gusto software.

✓

Transparent core pricing

The underlying software platform publishes its rates online, unlike most legacy PEOs.

−

Cons

−

New to co-employment

Gusto PEO is a newer business line and does not carry the multi-decade operating history of legacy PEOs.

−

Not IRS CPEO certified

Unlike several competitors, Gusto has not obtained IRS Certified PEO status as of this writing.

−

Product confusion risk

Gusto is primarily known for its non-PEO software platform, so buyers must confirm which specific product they are being quoted.

PEO Authority Editorial Note

Gusto is best known for payroll and HR software rather than co-employment, so it is important to separate the long-standing Gusto platform from the newer Gusto PEO product when evaluating it as a PEO option. Buyers should confirm they are being quoted the actual PEO offering, not the standard software subscription, since the two are different products with different legal structures. Because Gusto PEO is new relative to established players, buyers who weigh a long operating history or IRS CPEO certification heavily may want to factor that in against the appeal of a familiar, well-designed interface. Best for: existing Gusto customers moving into full co-employment, and small businesses that prioritize a modern software experience over decades of PEO track record.

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