How much does payroll outsourcing cost in Singapore? (2026)

In short: Most providers charge per employee per month, often with a minimum fee. Published prices we checked in October 2026 run from S$8 to S$20 per head at payroll specialists to S$60 per staff before GST at one accounting firm, with setup, IR8A and IR21 often charged on top.

Payroll outsourcing in Singapore is usually priced per employee per month, often with a minimum monthly fee, plus one-off charges for setup and per-case charges for year-end and leaver forms. Published prices we checked in October 2026 range from S$8 to S$20 per head a month at payroll specialists and software companies to S$60 per staff a month before GST at one accounting firm. The headline rate matters less than what it includes: CPF submission, IR8A filing, IR21 tax clearance, leave and claims, and off-cycle runs are where quotes differ most.

This guide sets out what providers publish, what drives the price, and how to get quotes you can compare. Prices change, so check each provider’s current page before you budget.

Published payroll prices at a glance

All figures below come from providers’ own websites in October 2026. They are starting prices or list rates, not quotes.

The accounting firm also lists one-time fees: payroll setup from S$150, bank GIRO setup from S$300 and CPF account application from S$200, all before GST. Its per-staff charges for year-end and leaver forms are IR8A preparation from S$150 and IR21 preparation from S$250.

For a market view, a cost guide published in June 2026 by another provider estimates S$20 to S$30 per head a month for 1 to 5 staff, S$18 to S$28 for 6 to 10, S$15 to S$25 for 11 to 25 and S$12 to S$20 for 26 to 50. The same guide says most providers apply a minimum monthly fee of around S$100 to S$250. Treat these as one firm’s estimates, not market rates.

What drives payroll outsourcing cost

Headcount and minimum fees

Per-head rates usually fall as headcount rises, but a minimum monthly fee means a business with three staff can pay far more per person than one with thirty. If you are small, compare the total monthly figure, not the per-head rate.

Pay complexity

Fixed monthly salaries are the simplest case. Overtime, shift allowances, commissions, several pay groups, hourly staff and foreign workers with levies all add time. One bureau we checked charges a third more per head when overtime and commission are involved.

Whose system runs the payroll

Some providers run payroll on their own cloud software, others work inside the system you already use, and some do both at different prices. If you want to keep your current HR software, say so, because a provider working in an unfamiliar system may quote a custom rate.

Year-end filing and leavers

Employers with five or more employees must submit employment income to IRAS under the Auto-Inclusion Scheme by 1 March each year. Some providers include this; others charge per employee. IR21 tax clearance for non-citizen employees who leave is usually charged per case.

Scope beyond the pay run

Leave and claims administration, government-paid leave claims, multi-country payroll and HR advisory all sit outside a basic pay run at many providers.

Hidden and ongoing costs

• Setup and migration. Moving historical payroll data, setting up GIRO and registering a CPF account can each carry one-time fees.
• Off-cycle runs. Bonus runs, corrections and final pay for leavers may be charged separately.
• Year-end forms. IR8A per employee can outweigh a low monthly rate for a larger team.
• Software subscriptions. If the cheapest rate assumes you use the provider’s system, check whether that system has its own fee.
• GST on the fee. Some prices are shown before GST and some do not say. Compare like with like.
• Statutory costs. Employer CPF, the Skills Development Levy and any Foreign Worker Levy are costs of employing staff, not part of the provider’s fee. Our employee cost calculator shows what these add per person.
• Penalties. CPF Board charges late payment interest of 1.5% a month after the grace period. Agree in writing who pays if a provider’s delay causes it.

How to get comparable quotes

Send every provider the same brief:

1. Number of employees, and how many are Singapore citizens or PRs, foreign workers or part-timers.
2. Pay frequency and the usual pay date.
3. Pay components: fixed salary only, or overtime, shift allowances, commissions and claims.
4. The payroll or HR software you use now, and whether you want to keep it.
5. What you want handled: monthly run, payslips, CPF submission, bank file, IR8A, IR21, leave and claims.
6. Expected leavers a year, and any foreign staff who may need IR21.

Then ask for an itemised quote showing the monthly fee, any minimum, one-time setup, per-case charges for IR8A, IR21 and off-cycle runs, and whether GST is included. Work out a twelve-month total for your headcount from each quote. That number, not the per-head rate, is the one to compare.

Ask each provider too:

• What do you need from us each month, and by which date?
• Who checks each run before salaries are released?
• How do you protect salary and NRIC data?
• If we leave, in what format do we get our payroll history back?

Outsourcing versus doing payroll in-house

Outsourcing is not the only option. Some businesses run payroll themselves on cloud payroll software, and others have an HR or finance staff member do it alongside other work. The comparison is not only fees against salary. Consider who covers when that person is on leave, how errors are caught before salaries go out, and who keeps up with changes to CPF rates and IRAS requirements. A provider’s fee buys a process and a second pair of eyes, which matters more as headcount and pay complexity grow.

Grants

Grants do not usually cover an outsourced payroll service. If you are buying HR or payroll software instead, the Productivity Solutions Grant closed to new applications at the end of September 2026, and ready-made software may now be supported under the EDGE Grant. Our page on grant support for HR and payroll software explains how this works. Check Enterprise Singapore’s current conditions before you commit.

Where to look next

Read our ranking of payroll outsourcing providers in Singapore to see how different types of provider compare, or browse the payroll outsourcing directory. Our payroll outsourcing matching page covers the MOM, CPF and IRAS rules in more detail. If you would rather have quotes come to you, describe your team there and a concierge will introduce one to five payroll providers who will quote on the same brief. If you also need bookkeeping, see our accounting fees guide.