Our Full Review
Paycor is built for HR leaders who want data—lots of it. While competitors focus on ease of use, Paycor bets that mid-market companies care more about insights. If you're the type of HR leader who lives in spreadsheets, Paycor speaks your language.
Who Should Use Paycor?
Paycor is ideal for:
- Mid-market companies (50-1,000 employees) with dedicated HR teams
- Data-driven organizations wanting people analytics and workforce planning
- Multi-location businesses needing labor cost management by location
- Companies in regulated industries requiring strong compliance tracking
- Businesses with hourly workforce needing scheduling and labor forecasting
Who Should Look Elsewhere?
- Small businesses under 50 — Paycor is too complex and expensive (use Gusto or BambooHR)
- Startups wanting quick setup — Implementation takes months, not days
- Budget-conscious SMBs — Premium features = premium pricing
- Companies wanting simple payroll — Paycor is an HCM platform, not just payroll
Core Payroll
Enterprise-grade payroll capabilities:
- Unlimited payroll runs with flexible schedules
- Multi-state and multi-jurisdiction compliance
- Automatic tax calculations and filings
- Garnishments and deductions managed automatically
- Year-end tax services (W-2, 1099, etc.)
- Tax penalty guarantee
Analytics & Reporting (The Standout Feature)
Paycor's analytics are best-in-class:
- Executive dashboards: Real-time headcount, turnover, labor costs
- People analytics: Time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, turnover by department
- Labor cost forecasting: Project future costs based on hiring plans
- Custom report builder with drag-and-drop interface
- Benchmarking: Compare your metrics to industry averages
- Predictive analytics: Identify flight risks and retention trends
For HR leaders who need to present data to executives, Paycor's reporting is a game-changer.
Talent Management
Full suite of talent tools:
- Recruiting: ATS with job posting, candidate tracking, interview scheduling
- Onboarding: Workflows, e-signatures, new hire paperwork automation
- Performance management: Goals, reviews, 360 feedback, compensation planning
- Learning management: Training courses, certifications, compliance training
- Succession planning: Identify and develop future leaders
Workforce Management
Strong scheduling and time tracking:
- Employee scheduling with drag-and-drop builder
- Shift swaps and open shifts
- Labor forecasting: Schedule based on sales projections
- Time clocks: Web, mobile, kiosk, biometric
- Geofencing and GPS for field workers
- Overtime alerts and budget controls
Benefits Administration
Comprehensive benefits management:
- Carrier integrations with major insurance providers
- Open enrollment automation
- COBRA administration
- FSA/HSA management
- 401(k) integrations
- ACA compliance tracking
Employee Experience
Self-service mobile app:
- Clock in/out from mobile
- View paystubs and tax documents
- Request time off
- Update personal information
- Access company documents
Compliance Management
Strong compliance features:
- Automated compliance alerts for law changes
- State-specific policy templates
- Audit trails for all system changes
- EEO-1, VETS-4212, and other required reports
- I-9 compliance and e-verify integration
Integrations
Connects with major business systems:
- Accounting: QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage
- Benefits: Major insurance carriers and brokers
- ATS: Limited third-party integrations (Paycor prefers its own ATS)
- Background checks: Checkr, Sterling
Pricing
Paycor doesn't publish pricing. Expect:
- Core HR & Payroll: ~$15-20/employee/month
- Full HCM Suite: ~$25-35/employee/month (includes talent, analytics, workforce management)
For 100 employees on full suite: $2,500-3,500/month.
Implementation fees: $5,000-15,000 depending on complexity.
Customer Support
Dedicated support included:
- Account manager assigned
- 24/7 phone and email support
- Implementation team for onboarding
- HR advisory services (on higher tiers)
The Bottom Line
Paycor is for mid-market companies that have outgrown simple payroll tools and need a comprehensive HCM platform with real analytics. It's not the easiest to use, but it's powerful.
If your HR team consists of one person juggling everything, Paycor might be overwhelming. But if you have a dedicated HR team that wants data-driven insights, Paycor delivers.
Compare with Paylocity (more user-friendly), ADP (more established), and Namely (similar mid-market focus). Paycor wins on analytics and reporting—if that's important to you, it's worth the premium.