Buyer Guide
PEO Broker vs PEO Consultant: What's the Difference?
Both help you choose a PEO. The difference is how they get paid and what they're optimizing for. Knowing the model up front protects you.
Compensation
- Broker: Paid by the PEO via ongoing commission (often a % of admin fee or a per-employee override). No direct fee to the employer.
- Consultant: Paid by the employer — flat project fee, hourly, or retainer. May refuse all PEO commissions to maintain independence.
Scope
- Broker: Sources quotes from PEOs they're appointed with, advises through selection, then services the relationship year over year as your BOR.
- Consultant: Runs the RFP process, evaluates responses, often hands the relationship to your team or a separate broker post-placement.
Is a broker biased toward the PEOs that pay them more?
The honest answer is: the structure creates that risk. Good brokers manage it transparently and disclose commission. Asking 'what is your commission structure for each PEO you're showing me?' is fair and standard.
Should I always pay a consultant?
No. A reputable broker can deliver an excellent outcome at no fee to you because the PEO pays them. A consultant is most valuable on complex deals (multi-state, regulated industries, post-acquisition integration) where independent process design matters more than commission alignment.
Whichever model you choose, demand a structured comparison across the same five line items (admin, medical, WC, EPLI, SUI/SUTA). That's what Entravia produces — see how it works.
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