Thinking about growing your remote team? Australia should rank high on your list of potential contenders. The country’s talented, highly educated workforce makes it one of the best places to find top professionals and scale your global operations.
However, hiring in Australia comes with its own set of legal and administrative challenges. Employers must understand national employment standards, taxation rules, and statutory benefits to remain compliant. For organizations new to hiring in the region, navigating these regulations can be a time-consuming and complex process.
That’s why many companies choose to partner with an Employer of Record (EOR). An EOR handles the heavy lifting — like payroll, benefits, and compliance — so you can hire Australian talent without setting up a local entity or worrying about employment law details.
If you’re considering expanding into Australia, this guide highlights six EOR providers that can help simplify your hiring and ensure compliance from day one.
Key takeaways:
- Australia is home to a highly educated population, making it an ideal option for global companies looking to expand their remote teams.
- Navigating Australia's complex employment laws and statutory benefits can be challenging. Partnering with an Employer of Record helps ensure full compliance without the need for a local entity.
- RemoFirst stands out among Australian EOR providers for its transparent pricing, affordable plans, and fast, reliable onboarding — making global hiring simpler and more cost-effective.
Check out our guide to hiring remote workers in Australia.
Why Australia Is a Remote Hiring Powerhouse
Australia ranks among the most educated countries in the world, with a large share of professionals holding degrees in technology, business, engineering, and the sciences — making it a strong choice for companies seeking high-caliber global talent. English is the primary language, which simplifies communication for international teams.
The country also boasts a thriving innovation ecosystem, driven by investment in research, tech startups, and digital infrastructure. Australian professionals are experienced in remote and hybrid work, often collaborating across time zones, making them an excellent fit for globally distributed teams.
Ready to build your global team in Australia? Here are some of the top EORs to consider for your hiring needs.
RemoFirst
RemoFirst is a cost-effective choice for companies hiring in Australia or expanding their teams globally. As one of the most affordable Employer of Record (EOR) providers, our pricing starts at just $199 per employee per month (and $25 for contractors) — with transparent, flat-rate pricing and no hidden fees or surprise charges.
We work with businesses of all sizes — from startups scaling internationally for the first time to established enterprises managing large distributed teams.
Our platform and services cover everything you need to hire and manage global employees, including:
- Drafting fully compliant local employment contracts
- Onboarding new hires in as little as 24 hours
- Handling global payroll and tax compliance
- Shipping work equipment directly to employees
- Managing employee benefits, equity, and bonuses
- Supporting visa and work permit applications
Employers can also offer private health coverage through RemoHealth and RemoHealth Local.
While RemoFirst doesn’t own entities in Australia, we partner exclusively with in-country experts who have over 20 years of experience and have processed more than $15 billion in payroll worldwide. This partner-first model gives you the same level of compliance and local insight as owned-entity providers — but at a fraction of the cost.
Plus, every client receives a dedicated account manager and access to 24/5 customer support, ensuring your team receives fast, reliable help whenever you need it.
We’re also expanding our integrations — including upcoming compatibility with ADP Workforce Now — to make global team management even more seamless.
All of our customers also receive a dedicated account manager and 24/5 customer support.
Want to see how easy managing a global team can be with RemoFirst? Book a demo.
AYP Group
AYP Group is a regional EOR and PEO specialist operating across the Asia-Pacific, with a strong presence in Australia. They offer direct employee contracting, flat-fee pricing, and a deep understanding of local compliance and labor regulations.
AYP Group's transparent pricing and guaranteed compliance make it ideal for companies expanding into Australia and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Dedicated local experts provide strategic HR advisory and hands-on support. Their regional expertise extends to other key APAC markets, including Thailand and India, making them a solid choice for comprehensive Asia-Pacific expansion strategies.
Compared to global-scale EOR providers, AYP Group's platform may offer fewer automation features and integrations with popular HR tools.
Businesses seeking a global EOR solution might find AYP Group's offerings less comprehensive in scope. Its services are more suited to small and medium-sized enterprises specifically looking for an EOR to cover only the Asia-Pacific area.
Check out AYP Group's G2 reviews.
Deel
Deel uses an owned-entity model, meaning it establishes and operates its own legal entities in most of the countries where it offers services. This model gives Deel strong control over employment processes, regulatory compliance, and IP protection. One of its key features is IP Guard, designed to protect clients' intellectual property.
On the technology front, Deel offers a comprehensive platform that allows companies to embed EOR and payroll functionality directly into their existing systems via powerful APIs. It integrates with tools such as Zapier, Slack, Xero, and QuickBooks, making it a flexible choice for organizations with complex HR and accounting stacks.
That said, this infrastructure and depth of service come at a premium cost. Deel’s pricing starts at USD 599 per employee per month for its EOR offering and USD 49 per contractor per month for its contractor management plan. Additional services or add-ons may raise the total bill.
Users have noted some trade-offs. While the platform is feature-rich and globally capable, some companies, especially smaller firms, have found onboarding to be somewhat complex and support response times to be slower during peak demand. Analytics and reporting functionality also received mixed feedback.
Learn how RemoFirst stacks up against Deel, or check out Deel’s G2 reviews.
Oyster
In addition to core EOR services, such as payroll, benefits, and legal compliance, Oyster also offers localized perks for employees and access to Oyster Academy — an online learning hub specifically designed for remote workers.
Its platform is highly scalable and integrates seamlessly with tools such as Bamboo HR, QuickBooks, and Slack, making it a strong fit for larger organizations looking to streamline HR operations across borders.
However, Oyster’s pricing may be out of reach for some teams. Their EOR service starts at USD 699 per employee per month, with higher-tier pricing if any add-ons and specific services are included.
Users have reported issues such as slower customer support response times, reimbursement delays, and onboarding processes that can take at least a full day longer than those of some competitors.
Take a look at how RemoFirst and Oyster compare, or check out Oyster’s G2 reviews.
Remote
Remote uses an owned-entity model, which gives the company greater control over employment processes, regulatory compliance, and intellectual property protection — highlighted by its IP Guard feature.
On the technology side, Remote’s platform offers robust API capabilities, enabling companies to embed EOR and payroll functionalities directly into their existing systems. It integrates with tools like Workday, Zapier, and Xero, making it a flexible choice for organizations that rely on established HR and accounting platforms.
That said, Remote’s comprehensive approach comes with a higher price tag. Its pricing starts at USD 699 per employee per month and ranges from USD 29 to USD 99 per contractor per month, depending on the service tier.
User feedback reveals some limitations worth considering: the analytics dashboard is described as less advanced than that of some competitors, and some companies report that onboarding and customer support response times are slower than expected.
For more information, see how RemoFirst and Remote compare or read Remote’s G2 reviews.
Papaya Global
Papaya Global offers a centralized platform for managing global workforces across over 160 countries. Its intuitive dashboard enables companies to manage payroll, time-off requests, document management, and payslips in a single, streamlined interface. The platform also leverages AI to enhance budget forecasting and identify potential payroll errors before they occur.
Papaya integrates with widely used HR systems, including BambooHR, Workday, HiBob, and Expensify. Additionally, it offers a mobile app that enables employers and employees to manage key HR tasks on the go.
Papaya does not share its pricing publicly, requiring companies to request a quote. Customer support is primarily conducted via email, which may not be ideal for companies that need quick, live assistance.
For those seeking expanded functionality, Papaya also offers premium add-ons, such as Agent of Record (AOR) services and Workforce OS, its end-to-end global payroll operating system, designed to unify HR and finance functions under one platform.
Learn more about how RemoFirst compares to Papaya Global, or check out Papaya Global’s G2 reviews.
Compliant and Cost-Effective Hiring in Australia
Navigating Australia’s local labor laws, payroll requirements, and mandatory benefits can be complex and time-consuming. That’s why companies around the world increasingly rely on EORs to simplify global hiring and ensure compliance.
RemoFirst makes building compliant remote teams both cost-effective and straightforward. From onboarding and drafting employment contracts to managing payroll, taxes, and statutory benefits, we handle the administrative and legal details, allowing your team to focus on what matters most: growing your business.
And we don’t just support hiring in Australia. With coverage in 185+ countries, we’ll be there to support you, wherever your next hire takes you.
Schedule a demo to learn more.
