American Payroll Association
PayrollOrg (formerly American Payroll Association) is a nonprofit membership association that provides payroll education, certification (FPC, CPP), compliance resources, and conferences to over 100,000 payroll professionals across 100+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersSan Antonio, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What American Payroll Association does
PayrollOrg (formerly American Payroll Association, founded 1982) is a San Antonio-headquartered nonprofit membership association dedicated to payroll education, certification, and compliance resources. Following its May 2, 2023 merger with the Global Payroll Management Institute, the organization operates under a unified brand serving more than 100,000 payroll professionals annually from over 100 countries. It administers two industry-recognized certifications — the Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) for entry-level practitioners and the Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) for advanced practitioners — alongside a digital badging system for recertification.
The product portfolio spans structured training (PayTrain Mastery self-study and guided-study formats, Payroll Analytics Series from beginner to expert), specialized compliance courses (Local Income Tax Compliance, Garnishments Forum), authoritative reference publications (The Payroll Source Online, Guide to State Payroll Laws), industry media (PAYTECH Magazine, Payroll Currently, PayState Update, Pay News Now, Payroll Across the Globe, Global Payroll eMagazine, PayTalk Podcast), and a calendar of in-person and virtual conferences (Payroll Congress, Capital Summit, Payroll Leaders Conference, Educational Institutions Payroll Conference, Virtual Congress, Global Payroll Week, National Payroll Week). Technology is delivered through a standard web stack — ASP.NET on AWS with Azure App Service, Cloudflare for bot management and traffic, HubSpot for CRM and marketing automation, Pardot for visitor tracking, and Google Analytics — supporting the e-commerce portal at ebiz.payroll.org.
The business model rests on five recurring and transactional revenue streams: annual membership dues (individual and team tiers), certification exam fees (FPC and CPP), courses, seminars, and educational products (Boot Camps, PayTrain, books and merchandise), conference registration, and advertising and sponsorships across newsletters, vendor directories (U.S. and Global), and conference venues. Go-to-market is community-led, leveraging a U.S. local chapter network, member referrals, peer forums, and the Payroll Community platform; 101-250 employees support operations. There is no evidence of external ownership, venture investment, or public listing; the entity operates as a self-governing nonprofit.
American Payroll Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Payroll Association
- Legal name
- PayrollOrg
- Website
- https://americanpayroll.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- PayrollOrg (formerly American Payroll Association) is a nonprofit membership association that provides payroll education, certification (FPC, CPP), compliance resources, and conferences to over 100,000 payroll professionals across 100+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where American Payroll Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Antonio
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
American Payroll Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to member benefits including free eBooks, free webinars, Ask an Expert, PAYTECH Magazine, Payroll Currently Newsletter, and the Payroll Community.
- Certification Exams: Revenue from administering Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) and Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) exams, including online testing fees.
- Courses, Seminars & Educational Products: Sale of educational courses, seminars, certificate programs, study tools (Boot Camps, PayTrain eLearning), and the Bookshelf products including The Payroll Source, Guide to State Payroll Laws, and merchandise.
- Conference Registration: Revenue from in-person and virtual conferences including Payroll Congress, Capital Summit, Payroll Leaders Conference, Virtual Congress, and the Educational Institutions Payroll Conference.
- Advertising & Sponsorships: Sponsorships and advertising opportunities across newsletters (Payroll Currently, PayState Update, Pay News Now, Payroll Across the Globe), U.S. Vendor Directory, Global Vendor Directory, and conference venues.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Team Membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
American Payroll Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
American Payroll Association, now operating as PayrollOrg, is a nonprofit membership organization that delivers payroll education, certification, and compliance resources to payroll professionals. Its core offerings include the Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) and Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) credentials, structured training courses such as PayTrain Mastery and the Payroll Analytics Series, authoritative reference publications including The Payroll Source Online and the Guide to State Payroll Laws, and major annual conferences such as Payroll Congress and Capital Summit.
Product overview
PayrollOrg (formerly American Payroll Association) offers a comprehensive portfolio of payroll education and certification products serving over 100,000 professionals annually from more than 100 countries. The portfolio centers on two certification programs: Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) for entry-level professionals and Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) for advanced practitioners. Educational offerings include PayTrain Mastery courses (available in self-study and guided-study formats), the Payroll Analytics Series for data proficiency, and Local Income Tax Compliance courses. The organization publishes The Payroll Source Online and Guide to State Payroll Laws as authoritative references. Annual conferences include Capital Summit, Payroll Congress, Virtual Congress, Payroll Leaders Conference, and the Educational Institutions Payroll Conference. Members receive PAYTECH Magazine and newsletters (Payroll Currently, PayState Update, Pay News Now, Payroll Across the Globe), access the Global Payroll eMagazine, and benefit from the PayTalk Podcast. The merger with Global Payroll Management Institute expanded offerings to include global payroll resources and the Global Payroll Week event.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) Entry-level certification for payroll professionals demonstrating foundational knowledge and competencies in payroll practices.
- Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) Advanced-level certification for experienced payroll professionals seeking leadership positions and career advancement.
- PayTrain Mastery Comprehensive training course for experienced payroll practitioners and those preparing for CPP certification, available in self-study and guided-study formats.
- Payroll Analytics Series Analytics training courses designed to master payroll data insights, ranging from beginner to expert levels.
- Local Income Tax Compliance Specialized course covering city, county, and school district tax withholding, reporting, and depositing procedures, addressing local taxes in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, and other states.
- Garnishments Forum Virtual course covering both federal and state garnishment laws for payroll professionals.
- The Payroll Source Online The industry's most trusted go-to resource for all aspects of payroll, explaining the latest legal and regulatory changes, technological innovations, and payroll developments.
- Guide to State Payroll Laws Comprehensive reference guide covering state-specific payroll laws and regulations.
- Payroll Source Comprehensive payroll reference publication covering all aspects of payroll operations, compliance, and best practices.
- Capital Summit Annual conference providing payroll education and networking opportunities for professionals.
- Payroll Congress Major annual conference featuring workshops and educational sessions for payroll professionals.
- Virtual Congress Online version of the annual payroll congress providing remote access to educational sessions.
- Payroll Leaders Conference Annual conference held in San Antonio, TX focused on leadership skills and knowledge for payroll leaders.
- Educational Institutions Payroll Conference (EIPC) Specialized conference addressing payroll needs specific to educational institution professionals.
- Certificate Programs Structured educational programs leading to certificates in various payroll specializations.
- Individual Membership Annual membership providing access to member directory, free eBooks, free webinars, Ask an Expert, PAYTECH Magazine, newsletters, and community access.
- Team Membership Group membership option for teams within organizations, billed annually.
Companies that use American Payroll Association
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
American Payroll Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
American Payroll Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
American Payroll Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
American Payroll Association social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Payroll Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Payroll Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
American Payroll Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
American Payroll Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about American Payroll Association
What does American Payroll Association do?
American Payroll Association, now operating as PayrollOrg, is a nonprofit membership organization that delivers payroll education, certification, and compliance resources to payroll professionals. Its core offerings include the Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) and Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) credentials, structured training courses such as PayTrain Mastery and the Payroll Analytics Series, authoritative reference publications including The Payroll Source Online and the Guide to State Payroll Laws, and major annual conferences such as Payroll Congress and Capital Summit.
Is American Payroll Association a public or private company?
American Payroll Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was American Payroll Association founded?
American Payroll Association was founded in 1982. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is American Payroll Association based?
American Payroll Association is headquartered in San Antonio, United States, in the North America region.
How does American Payroll Association make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are certification Exams, courses, Seminars & Educational Products, conference Registration and advertising & Sponsorships.
Does American Payroll Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Payroll Association.