The Payroll Group

What The Payroll Group does

The Payroll Group (TPG) is a non-profit, membership-based professional association headquartered at 1 Glenlake Parkway Suite 1200, Atlanta, Georgia. It serves independent payroll service bureaus across the United States, providing education, compliance resources, advocacy, and peer networking. As of the latest data, the organization represents over 100 service bureau providers spanning 32 states, with all members serving as key decision makers within their respective organizations. The association's stated mission is to standardize processes and procedures across independent payroll providers, deliver cost efficiencies to their clients, and maintain a collective advocacy voice in governmental and agency spheres concerning payroll services.

TPG operates a tiered membership model with two primary categories. Payroll Members — independent payroll service providers — pay annual dues scaled by organizational FTE size: $500 for 1-10 FTE, $700 for 11-30 FTE, and $900 for 30+ FTE. Associate Members — suppliers of goods and services to TPG members — pay $575 annually. Membership applications are subject to review by the TPG Board of Directors, and all memberships renew automatically on January 1. The organization is powered by Wild Apricot membership software, which handles member management, event registration, communications, and the members-only portal.

Member benefits include a 3-day annual conference, year-round live and recorded webinars, a monthly newsletter (The Payroll Report), a confidential members-only listserv, government affairs updates in partnership with GrayRobinson, and access to partner/vendor discounts. The Payroll Group does not develop proprietary technology products; its core 'product' is the association membership itself, augmented by educational content, networking, and regulatory advocacy delivered through events, newsletters, and webinars.

Name

The Payroll Group

Legal name

The Payroll Group

Website

https://thepayrollgroup.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Payroll Group is a non-profit membership association headquartered in Atlanta that supports U.S. independent payroll service bureaus across 32 states through tiered annual memberships, compliance education, peer networking, annual conferences, webinars, and government affairs advocacy in partnership with GrayRobinson.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Trade Association Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Payroll Processing (BPACAIAA)

Keywords

• Payroll association membership
• Payroll compliance education
• Industry advocacy services
• Professional trade association
• Peer networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The Payroll Group generates revenue through annual membership dues from two categories: Payroll Members (independent payroll service providers) and Associate Members (suppliers of goods and services). Payroll members pay tiered annual fees based on FTE size ($500-$900/year), while Associate Members pay $575/year. Membership includes a subscription period of 1 year with automatic renewal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Payroll Group is a non-profit membership association that provides payroll service providers with a tiered membership program (Payroll Member and Associate Member tiers), annual conferences, educational webinars, a monthly newsletter, a members-only listserv, and government affairs advocacy in partnership with GrayRobinson. Revenue is generated through annual membership dues ranging from $500 to $900 for Payroll Members and $575 for Associate Members, with automatic annual renewal.

Product overview

The Payroll Group is a membership-based association for independent payroll service providers, not a SaaS product company. The organization offers membership tiers (Payroll Member, Associate Member) and provides member benefits including educational resources, annual conferences, webinars, government affairs advocacy, newsletters, and networking opportunities. The core 'product' is the association membership itself, enabling access to industry education, peer networking, and collective advocacy for payroll service bureaus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Payroll Membership

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• Wild ApricotcoreTechnology or IntegrationWild Apricot provides the membership software platform powering The Payroll Group's website, member management, event registration, communications, and the members-only portal. It is described as the platform 'Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software.'
• GrayRobinsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrayRobinson is TPG's government affairs partner, providing regular updates on legislative matters and lobbying opportunities for members. The GA Committee works with GrayRobinson to advocate on state and federal regulatory issues impacting the payroll services industry.
• Troutman PepperminorOthersLaw firm partner for TPG webinars on payments and regulatory compliance topics, including alternative banking arrangements to mitigate Money Transmitter Licensing requirements.
• Alston & BirdminorOthersLaw firm partner for TPG webinars covering payment systems, regulatory issues, and compliance topics for the payroll industry.
• SwipeclockminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted a TPG webinar titled 'Leverage Automated Timekeeping to Build Bench Strength, Loyalty, and Revenue' on July 29, 2025, demonstrating a sponsor/webinar host relationship with TPG.
• AvalaraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted a TPG webinar titled 'Stop Losing Clients Over Registration Delays: How Payroll Providers Can Eliminate Compliance Bottlenecks' on April 24, 2025.
• IRISminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted a TPG webinar on 'The Impact of Payroll Technology on Payroll Service Business Growth and Profitability' on February 20, 2025.
• 401GOminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented a TPG webinar on 'SECURE Act 2.0' on February 6, 2025.
• ZayZoonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in a TPG webinar titled 'The Power of Pay – Improving Retention & Recruitment with Financial Flexibility' on November 28, 2023, discussing on-demand pay and financial empowerment for employees.
• IPPA (International Payroll Professionals Association)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted a joint MTL (Money Transmitter Licensing) webinar with TPG on November 14, 2023, bringing together legal experts from Troutman Pepper and Alston & Bird to discuss alternative banking arrangements for payroll providers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• American Payroll Association (PayrollOrg): The leading national membership association for payroll professionals in the US. Directly comparable trade association model serving the payroll industry with education, certification, and advocacy — though at significantly larger scale than The Payroll Group.
• National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO): Trade association for PEOs and HR outsourcing firms, operating a comparable membership, advocacy, and education model for organizations in the payroll-adjacent employment services industry.
• National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP): Membership association for tax professionals with comparable subscription dues, education programs, and advocacy offerings. Closely analogous trade association model in an adjacent compliance-focused vertical.
• Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA): National trade association advocating for independent community banks against large incumbents. Highly analogous model — an association for independent players in an industry facing consolidation pressure from scaled competitors.

Peers

• International Payroll Professionals Association (IPPA): TPG's documented webinar partner, IPPA is a membership organization serving payroll professionals globally with education, certification, and advocacy. Highly comparable association model with international rather than US-independents focus.

Broad incumbents

• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): The largest HR professional membership organization globally. Operates a similar membership, advocacy, and education model but serves the broader HR profession rather than narrowly focusing on independent payroll service bureaus.
• American Institute of CPAs (AICPA): Large professional membership association for CPAs with comparable subscription, education, and advocacy model. Adjacent vertical (accounting rather than payroll specifically) but highly analogous trade association structure.

Emerging players

• Institute of Finance & Management (IOFM): Membership organization serving finance, accounting, and payroll operations professionals with education, certification, and benchmarking. Comparable association model with meaningful overlap on the payroll operations audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/payroll-group-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Payroll Group