Payroll Software
Best Payroll Software for Education
Schools and colleges pay teachers on academic-year contracts, add stipends for coaching and extra duties, and pay substitutes and adjuncts by the hour or course. Payroll software for education should spread contract pay over the year, handle many pay codes, and allocate costs to the funds and grants that pay for each role.
- products that fit
- 5
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Top 5 by LeadChange Scoreof 5 that fit · scored for education (reweighted)
OnPay7.9 out of 10, Medium confidence
Paycor6.9 out of 10, Medium confidence
Paylocity6.1 out of 10, Medium confidence
Paycom5.9 out of 10, Medium confidence
Netchex5.6 out of 10, Medium confidence
See the full rankingMedium confidence
Payroll software for education, ranked
Ranked by LeadChange Score from verified facts; products with too few verified facts are not scored yet and come last. Prices are list prices as published by each vendor.
Filter by verified facts
OnPay
OnPay suits US small businesses that want full-service payroll at one published price: $49 a month plus $6 per worker, with federal, state and local tax filings, W-2s, 1099s, multi-state payroll and unlimited pay runs included. Setup and data migration are free, and support is by phone, chat and email.
Paycor
Paycor suits US employers from small businesses to companies with 1,000+ employees that want payroll, HR, time, recruiting and talent tools on one platform with open APIs. Plans run from Basic payroll to Complete + ASO, all priced by quote. It holds SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type 2 attestations and supports single sign-on.
Paylocity
Paylocity fits US employers that want payroll, HR, time, benefits and finance tools from one vendor, with tax filing in all 50 states. It publishes no prices, so cost depends on headcount, products and a non-refundable implementation fee set in a quote. Most contracts can be canceled on 60 days' notice.
Paycom
Paycom suits US employers that want payroll, HR, time, hiring, benefits and learning in one system with one login, and a single support contact instead of a ticket queue. Its Beti payroll asks employees to check and approve their own pay before each run.
- Pricing model
- Quote only7
Netchex
Netchex suits US employers with hourly, frontline teams, such as restaurants, hotels, clinics, retailers and manufacturers, that want payroll, tax filing, time, HR and benefits in one cloud system with an assigned implementation lead.
- Pricing model
- Quote only8
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
What matters for education
Contract pay spreading
Staff on academic-year contracts often choose to be paid over the full year. The software should spread salaries and deductions over the summer months automatically.
Stipend pay codes
Coaching, club and extra-duty stipends need their own pay codes so they are taxed, reported and approved correctly.
Fund and grant allocation
Many positions are paid from several funds or grants. Payroll cost should post to each one by percentage or hours for reporting.
Retirement plan reporting
Public and private schools often report contributions to a pension system or retirement plan each pay period. Check the formats the software produces.
Hourly substitute pay
Substitutes and adjuncts are paid by the day, hour or course, often across several schools, and need accurate overtime and tax treatment.
More tools for education
- Applicant Tracking SystemsApplicant tracking systems for education
- ASO ServicesASO services for education
- Background Check ServicesBackground check services for education
- Benefits AdministrationBenefits administration for education
- COBRA AdministrationCOBRA administration for education
- Employee Engagement SoftwareEmployee engagement software for education
- Employee Recognition SoftwareEmployee recognition software for education
- Employee Scheduling SoftwareEmployee scheduling software for education
- Employee WellnessEmployee wellness for education
- Financial WellnessFinancial wellness for education
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Popular comparisons
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The ranking reweighted for small business.
- Payroll software for mid-sized companies
The ranking reweighted for mid-sized companies.
- Payroll software for retail
The ranking reweighted for retail.
- Payroll software for healthcare
The ranking reweighted for healthcare.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best payroll software for education?
On the LeadChange Score weighted for education, the highest-scoring of the 5 products with a published score are OnPay (7.9/10), Paycor (6.9), and Paylocity (6.1).
Which payroll platforms for education offer a free trial?
OnPay lists a free trial, according to its vendor: 1 of the 5 products for education.
Which payroll platforms for education integrate with QuickBooks Online?
QuickBooks Online, listed by 2 of the 5 payroll platforms for education: Netchex and OnPay.
Which payroll platforms for education have a mobile app?
Netchex, Paycom, Paycor, and Paylocity confirm a mobile app; 1 of the 5 products for education does not document one.
Which payroll platforms for education are built for enterprises?
Netchex, Paycom, Paycor, and Paylocity list enterprises among the company sizes they serve.
Which payroll platforms for education support single sign-on?
Paycom, Paycor, and Paylocity document single sign-on; 2 of the 5 products for education do not.
How we research
This ranking of payroll software for education reweights the LeadChange Score: capability coverage 35%, pricing transparency & value 15%, integrations & API 10%, security & compliance 15%, fit & support 15%, and data confidence 10%. Only products with a verified fact showing they serve this segment are listed.
How this page was made
What it is built from
23 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Oct 22, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.3. Read the methodology
Independent review
Our independent review of Oct 28, 2026 asked for changes. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested these products hands-on: this page uses public information only.
Who made it
The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us
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Sources
The 8 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.
Quotes from the sources
- OnPay onpay.com/payroll/software/costs-pricing“Payroll Essentials $49 base + $6/worker per month” “Get started at just $49 base + $6/worker per month. No hidden fees, ever.”
- OnPay onpay.com/security“Third-party Certification: OnPay holds third-party auditor certification with the AICPA’s SOC program and is SOC 2 Type II compliant.”
- Paycor paycor.com/plans-pricing“Answer a few questions to get a custom price quote if you're a small business or view our mid-market product plans.”
- Paycor paycor.com/compliance-solutions/security“Paycor is accredited by and compliant with GDPR, FinCEN, US Privacy Shield, SOC 1 Type 2, and SOC 2 Type 2 security standards.”
- U.S. SEC (Paylocity Form 10-K) sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1591698/000159169826000069/pcty-20260630.htm“Recurring fees for each client generally include a base fee in addition to a fee based on the number of client employees and the number of products a client uses.”
- Paylocity paylocity.com/company/protecting-our-clients“We engage reputable audit firms who perform annual independent attestations for SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II, which cover controls related to financial reporting, security, confidentiality, and availability.”
- Paycom paycom.com/pricing“With Paycom, each quote is customized to the functionality a company needs and the number of employees.”
- Netchex netchex.com/netchex-faqs“Netchex charges per-employee, per-month (PEPM), not per payroll. Netchex utilizes quote-based pricing, which can vary depending on the size of your company and the services you are interested in.”