Prices verified Nov 10, 2026 from vendor sites. Written by PayrollPriceWatch.
Last checked Nov 10, 2026
Wave Payroll pricing 2026
U.S. full-access payroll is $40 a month plus $6 per active employee and $6 per independent contractor paid. The employee fee applies even in a month the person is not paid, as long as they are active and not on leave.
Plans
U.S. full-access payroll
$40/mo + $6/employee
Tax filing: included · States: extra states included · Contractors: $6 per contractor
- Automatic state and federal tax payments and filings for employees
- Unlimited direct deposit
- W-2 and 1099-NEC generation
- Same price in all 50 states
- No setup fee
1099 filings are excluded from the tax service. Employees are billed while active, not only when paid. Contractors are billed when paid.
Notes from the source
- Marketing page and help center agree on the U.S. price. The help center was updated November 10, 2026.
- Prices apply to new payroll customers who signed up after April 2, 2025.
- An active employee is anyone currently working and not on leave, even if they are not in a pay period.
- Employee and contractor fees are billed the following month. The first bill is the base fee only.
- Tax service: Wave transfers tax payments and files with the state and the IRS, excluding 1099 filings. Sales tax may be added based on the business address and is not in these totals.
- Canada, not used in this U.S. comparison: $25 CAD base plus $6 per active employee and $6 per contractor paid.
- The payroll FAQ describes a commitment-free period of up to 30 days after the first payroll is processed.
Source: https://www.waveapps.com/payroll
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Price history
Snapshot 2026-11-10 records public. No separate change entry is stored, so the snapshot is the data point.
Questions
- How much does Wave Payroll cost?
- Wave Payroll publishes these list prices. U.S. full-access payroll: $40 a month base, $6 per employee.
- When was Wave Payroll last checked?
- Last checked Nov 10, 2026. The source is https://www.waveapps.com/payroll.
- What does Wave Payroll cost for 10 employees?
- For 10 employees in one state, U.S. full-access payroll is $100 a month at list price ($1,200 a year). Introductory discounts are not included.
- Does Wave Payroll file payroll taxes?
- U.S. full-access payroll includes payroll tax filing.
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PayrollPriceWatch lists published prices so you can compare them. It is not financial, tax, legal, or payroll advice.