San Antonio's independent PEO broker:
compare every option, pay nothing

Why San Antonio businesses use an independent PEO broker

San Antonio's economy is anchored by military installations, a massive healthcare sector, and a growing financial services industry.

Our process for San Antonio businesses

San Antonio is the second-largest city in Texas and a market defined by three anchors: Joint Base San Antonio (Lackland, Fort Sam Houston and Randolph, together the largest joint base in the Department of Defense), the South Texas Medical Center and its surrounding health systems, and a corporate cluster that includes USAA, H-E-B, Valero and Frost Bank. Around those anchors sits one of the largest small-business economies in the state.

The employers who buy a PEO here look different from Austin's. They are defense and government contractors supporting the bases, medical and dental practices, home health and hospice agencies, construction subcontractors riding the metro's growth along the 1604 loop and into New Braunfels, hospitality operators serving the River Walk and convention trade, and cybersecurity and IT services firms clustered around the Air Force's cyber command at Lackland and Port San Antonio.

Texas is a light-regulation state for employers, which changes the PEO math: there is no state income tax, no state paid leave program and workers compensation is optional. The reasons San Antonio companies use a PEO are benefits pricing, workers comp for the ones who carry it, and getting HR done properly while the owner runs the business, not compliance fear.

Bexar County · San Antonio-New Braunfels metro · roughly 2.7 million residents

Workers comp in San Antonio

Texas is the only state where workers compensation is optional, so the San Antonio comparison starts with whether you carry it. For employers who do, or should, the PEO master policy is priced by class code: construction trades on the 1604 and New Braunfels growth corridor, home health aides (8835), restaurants (9082) and trucking (7219) show the widest spread between a standalone Texas policy and a PEO program, while office, clerical and clinical staff are cheap everywhere. We quote by class code on your actual payroll split and confirm pay-as-you-go premium with no deposit. For nonsubscribers we show the cost of coverage under the PEO next to the cost of staying out, so the decision is a number rather than a guess.

Health benefits in San Antonio

San Antonio's medical market is dominated by University Health, Methodist and Baptist, and every major carrier network covers them, so network fit is rarely the issue. Participation is. Military families on TRICARE and employees covered by a spouse's federal plan will waive, which can push a small group below carrier participation minimums. PEO master plans generally count TRICARE as valid other coverage, which keeps a 20-person contractor eligible for a strong plan even at low enrollment. We confirm each PEO's waiver rules and participation thresholds before we quote.

Texas employment rules that apply in San Antonio

• Texas has no state income tax and no state paid sick leave, paid family leave or disability program; San Antonio's local paid sick leave ordinance never took effect after the courts blocked it.
• Workers compensation is optional in Texas; nonsubscribers must notify employees and the state and lose common-law defenses if sued over a workplace injury.
• Texas state unemployment insurance is charged on a low taxable wage base; whether the PEO reports under its own rate or the client's changes the per-employee cost, so we confirm it on every quote.
• The Texas Payday Law governs pay frequency and final pay timing; salaried exempt staff may be paid monthly, non-exempt staff at least semi-monthly.
• PEOs operating in Texas must be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation; we confirm licensing for every provider on a shortlist.
• Federal contractors and many subcontractors must use E-Verify; most PEOs run it as part of onboarding.

What to check before you sign

1. Decide the workers comp question first: if you are a nonsubscriber, get the PEO master-policy cost priced by class code before you assume staying out is cheaper.
2. Ask whether the PEO administers Service Contract Act fringe and prevailing-wage reporting if you hold or bid federal work.
3. Confirm TRICARE and other-coverage waiver rules and the minimum participation percentage before you rely on the medical quote.
4. Check the PEO's state footprint against every state where you have or expect a remote employee.
5. Confirm the provider's Texas PEO license and ask whether it is an IRS-certified PEO if you plan a mid-year start.
6. Compare the administrative fee as a flat per-employee-per-month figure; percentage-of-payroll pricing penalizes higher-wage cleared and clinical staff.