Manufacturing businesses need comprehensive, easy-to-use payroll software that minimizes the amount of time they have to spend crunching numbers. If your manufacturing company needs top-of-the-line software that keeps payroll running smoothly without requiring much effort on your part, keep reading to learn more about the best payroll software tools for businesses like yours.
The right payroll software for a big-name manufacturer in the aerospace industry will likely have slightly different features from a small, specialized manufacturer of medical tools. But regardless of industry type or business size, most manufacturers need payroll software with some combination of the features below.
| Automatic tax withholding | Time-tracking tools | Employee self-service | International payroll processing | Direct deposit | Starting monthly price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papaya Global | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (160+ countries) | Yes | $12/payee |
| Gusto | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (contractors only) | Yes | $40 + $6/payee |
| RUN Powered by ADP | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (140+ countries) | Yes | Contact ADP for quote |
| Paycor | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Contact Paycor for quote |
| QuickBooks Payroll | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | $45 + $5/payee |
| Rippling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $8/payee |
If you’re looking for payroll software with more generic features, check out our list of the best payroll software for businesses.
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As a global workforce management solution, Papaya supports running payroll and paying employees in more than 160 countries. Its AI-powered platform stays up to date on employment in every country and automatically flags you on potential compliance issues. The payroll software also integrates smoothly with the most important (and most popular) global business technologies for manufacturers, including QuickBooks Online, Expensify, BambooHR, and more.
Unlike most other payroll services, Papaya Global only charges a per-employee monthly fee, not a base fee along with a per-employee fee. However, you pay for each Papaya service separately. If you want payroll and health benefits, for instance, you’ll pay for both Full-Service Payroll and Global Expertise Services:
For more information, read about Papaya on our list of the best international payroll services.
Gusto’s fully automated software combines basic HR elements (benefits, healthcare and workers’ comp administration) with full-service payroll. Businesses can set payroll to run automatically so employees never miss a pay day. Payroll syncs instantly with time and attendance data to give you accurate, up-to-date payroll data. Gusto includes several features for free that many payroll providers don’t (for instance, mailing out end-of-year tax forms)_, which makes it a good pick for small and midsize businesses operating on a strict budget.
Gusto’s three plans have increasing levels of HR features and support to make Gusto scalable for growing businesses:
Gusto doesn’t advertise a free trial, though it does offer a free demo, free quote and occasional discounts for first-time users.
For more information, read our in-depth comparison of Gusto and ADP.
ADP is a payroll and HR management company that operates globally. Along with its more sweeping professional employer organization (PEO) solutions for businesses that want to turn workforce management over to a third party, it offers combined payroll and HR software, including its popular RUN payroll product. Manufacturing businesses can use RUN to pay employees in 140+ countries. Each RUN plan also includes HR features like basic HR tips, newsletters and checkups.
ADP doesn’t list pricing for any of its four RUN payroll plans online. Interested businesses will have to contact ADP’s sales team directly for a customized quote.
ADP typically offers three months free to new customers with every plan.
For more information, read our full ADP review.
Human capital management solutions like Paycor tackle everything related to managing your employees, starting with payroll, HR and time tracking. Paycor’s software also guides you through every phase of finding, hiring and retaining employees, which includes processes like recruiting, scheduling, benefits, career mapping, employee development and more.
Paycor offers industry-specific onboarding for clients in the manufacturing industry. A customer service rep well-versed in employment issues specific to manufacturers — for instance, managing seasonal workers, staying in compliance and handling workers’ comp — will help set up and customize the software to your company’s needs.
Paycor doesn’t list the pricing for its four plans online, though it does advertise 50% off for your first year and waives all setup fees.
If you’re already using Intuit QuickBooks as your company’s accounting solution, adding QuickBooks Payroll is basically painless. Your payroll and accounting data will sync automatically, ensuring your books always reflect the most accurate employee pay. QuickBooks has a notably low learning curve, so if you’re used to QuickBooks but new to payroll, learning to use QuickBooks Payroll will take you the least amount of time compared to any other payroll solution.
QuickBooks Payroll has three payroll plans.
As with its accounting software, QuickBooks Payroll offers a 30-day free trial or 50% off for three months.
For more information, read our full QuickBooks Payroll review.
If you want to build a completely unique payroll solution from the ground up, Rippling’s business model could work best for you. Along with payroll, Rippling offers benefits administration, HR, learning management, time and attendance, applicant tracking and employee survey modules. You can choose however many modules you want to create a customized software package and only pay for the tools you need.
Although Rippling advertises its starting price as $8 per person per month, this price doesn’t include the base fee you pay to access Rippling’s platform, Rippling Unity. Whether you end up subscribing to a payroll module only or all of Rippling’s HR, IT and finance products, you must pay the base fee for Rippling Unity. Since that price isn’t listed online, you’ll need to contact Rippling directly for a more accurate quote.
For more information, read our full Rippling payroll review.
Manufacturing companies deal with many of the same payroll and HR issues as other industries, from ensuring employees clock in and out on time to filing the right quarterly taxes. But a few unique issues impact manufacturers more than most industries, including low employment rates, unpredictable supply chains and material shortages.
As a result, manufacturers need payroll software that helps prioritize employee retention while staying on top of ever-changing employment laws at the federal, state, local and international levels. Additionally, payroll software should automate time-consuming payroll and HR tasks so business owners have the time to focus on their workforce and business operations.
Manufacturing payroll software with the following features should help you meet those priorities. Keep these features in mind as you wade through the wide market of payroll software to find one that fits your budget and business.
Full-service payroll tax software automatically calculates your employees’ gross wages for the pay period. It then calculates the right amount to withhold in taxes and other deductions and remits them to the correct government agency.
Self-service payroll software calculates paycheck amounts and taxes but leaves the actual filing up to you. It’s generally cheaper than full-service software, but it also takes up more time, so look for full-service software with automated payroll runs to minimize the amount of time you have to spend with payroll.
Manufacturing workers are often paid hourly, which means you need time and attendance software that integrates directly with payroll software to calculate correct wages. As a result, the best payroll software for manufacturers should include built-in time trackers. (Note that time and attendance integration often costs an additional monthly fee.)
Typically, your employees clock themselves in and out, so they need a self-service portal that allows them to do so. Preferably, your payroll software will include a user-friendly app that allows them to do just that. Some payroll providers, like ADP, will set up physical terminals on location that employees can use instead of or with self-service apps.
If your manufacturing business operates in more areas than the United States, international payroll processing is a must. The best manufacturing payroll software lets you pay international employees in their own currency. It also stays on top of employment and data security laws in every country, notifying you when laws change so you can stay compliant across the globe.
Choosing software that pays your employees automatically through direct deposit is another way to save time on payroll, but it’s important to remember that not all employees like being paid through direct deposit. It’s rare, but some might not have a bank account you can deposit funds into at all. If possible, find a payroll service provider that offers multiple payment options, such as checks and preloaded debit cards.
Payroll is just one of many software tools you use to run your business. Choosing payroll software that integrates with your HR and accounting tools will streamline processes across your company and reduce the amount of time your team has to spend entering the same information over and over.
Depending on what types of employees you have, you might be legally required to offer certain benefits. Whether you find those benefits through your payroll software’s brokerage or on your own, choosing software with benefits administration ensures the right amount is deducted from your employees’ paychecks and deposited into their 401(k) savings account or HSA.
Workers’ compensation insurance is a legal requirement for businesses in any industry, but finding the right insurance plan is particularly important for labor-intensive, high-risk jobs like manufacturing. Since you pay workers’ compensation insurance premiums based on payroll data, find a payroll company that either offers workers’ comp through a brokerage or integrates with your workers’ comp insurance for effective administration.
We curated a list of the best reviewed, most popular payroll software for manufacturers based on aggregate reviews from sites like TrustRadius and Gartner Peer Insights, our own in-depth research and software demos on vendor sites. We then narrowed down our top picks, assessed their use cases and evaluated their strengths and weaknesses based on how they performed in the following categories:
Whether you operate out of one country or dozens, manufacture cars or industrial tools, the right payroll software helps you pay employees on time while staying legally compliant with federal and local labor laws. As you sort through options looking for the right payroll software, ask yourself what you can afford, which features you can’t live without, what processes you need streamlined and which integrations will give you and your employees the best possible payroll experience.
Payroll software can have a huge impact on your time and budget, so it’s also worth prioritizing software that offers free trials and in-depth demos to ensure you commit to the right payroll program. While you shouldn’t dismiss payroll software that doesn’t have transparent pricing online or requires a phone call to get a quote, it’s fair to be wary of pushy sales reps who overpromise without providing specific details to back up their claims.
Still wondering which payroll software is right for you? Our overview of the best payroll software for businesses offers more software options to add to your list, including popular tools like Paychex and Zenefits.
Read next:Â The best payroll software for nonprofits in 2023
