12 Best Local Employer of Record in China - Reviewed in 2026

Link Compliance is a Singapore-headquartered EOR, PEO, and recruitment provider founded in 2013 with offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Johor (Malaysia), Tokyo, and San Diego. The company's China operations are run through their Shanghai office, providing direct access to local compliance infrastructure and regulatory relationships. Link Compliance handles all employment-related responsibilities in China including payroll processing, tax compliance, social insurance contributions (five mandatory insurance schemes plus housing provident fund), benefits administration, onboarding, and employment contracts.

Their service model emphasizes tailored solutions rather than one-size-fits-all approaches, with new hires onboarded and operational within 48 hours. Link Compliance supports compliant hiring and terminations under Chinese labor law, which is critical given China's strict termination regulations requiring valid evidence, 30-day written notice, and severance at one month per year of service.

CMS Asia (Corporate Management Solutions) was founded in 2013 in Hong Kong to meet growing demand for payroll outsourcing, employer of record, HR management, and contingent workforce services across the Greater China region. The founding directors bring over 30 years of working experience in recruitment and managed services industries across Hong Kong, Singapore, and mainland China. CMS Asia operates from established offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia, with direct China operations through their Hong Kong base and regional infrastructure.

The company's EOR model enables clients to hire employees in China compliantly without establishing a local legal entity, handling employment contracts, payroll processing, social insurance contributions, tax withholding, and ongoing HR administration. CMS Asia also provides contingent workforce management and contractor compliance services, making them versatile for companies using mixed employment models in China. Their approach emphasizes flexibility and transparency, with client testimonials consistently highlighting professional payroll execution, responsive support, and cost-effective service delivery.

Second Talent combines EOR services with tech-specific talent sourcing, positioning itself for companies hiring software engineers, data scientists, and technical talent in China. The company has built access to 10,000+ tech professionals across Asia and can source top-tier local engineers within days -- a distinctive advantage for companies racing to build engineering teams. Second Talent's EOR service enables onboarding in 48 hours with full legal compliance, payroll management, and benefits administration according to China's labor law requirements. The company helps structure competitive, locally compliant benefit packages covering health insurance, bonuses, paid leave, and market-standard compensation.

Second Talent's pricing reflects China's competitive wage advantage: developers available at $3,800-$7,500 per month depending on experience, substantially lower than equivalent Western talent while maintaining comparable quality. With over 200 leading companies building engineering teams across Asia, Second Talent has developed operational playbooks specific to tech hiring, contractor-to-employee transitions, and cross-border technical team scaling.

Jackson and Frank are HQ'd in Arnhem, Netherlands, with deep China experience. Founded over a decade ago, the company has onboarded more than 1,000 employees across 300+ client companies. Jackson and Frank's approach emphasizes understanding the complexities of local employment laws, intricate tax systems, and global payroll management. They use their own local entities rather than subcontracting to third-party partners, giving them direct control over compliance and payroll execution.

HROne was established in 2005 and operates as one of the few fully licensed, non-state-owned Employer of Record and PEO providers in China. The company combines deep local expertise with ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications for management and data security. HROne maintains offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, and San Jose, California, giving it both strong in-country presence and international connectivity. The company has built specialized expertise in China's complex multi-city payroll landscape, where social insurance contribution rates vary significantly across Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and other major cities.

HROne handles payroll directly using China's mandatory platforms, filing taxes and social insurance with local tax authorities while providing transparent city-specific contribution breakdowns. For foreign companies entering China, HROne's 5-10 business day onboarding timeline reflects its established infrastructure and efficient compliance processes.

CIIC (China International Intellectech Co., Ltd.) was established in 1987 under the purview of the Chinese Central Government and represents the state's flagship approach to international HR outsourcing. As a top 500 Chinese enterprise and top 100 service enterprise, CIIC brings institutional authority that translates directly into government relationships and regulatory advantage. The company operates 126 subsidiaries with presence across 76 countries and regions, though its strength concentrates in multi-region, multi-sector hiring across China's major cities and provinces.

CIIC's state-backed status creates unique advantages in navigating regulations, securing permits, and managing relationships with government agencies. The company manages the full spectrum of China's mandatory social insurance (health, pension, unemployment, injury insurance) plus housing fund administration, drafting city-specific labor law-compliant contracts, and providing Chinese-language HR support teams for employee management and dispute resolution.

Established in 2002, China Payroll represents the archetype of the specialized, China-first EOR provider. Unlike global platforms that treat China as one market among 100+, China Payroll built its entire business model around China's specific regulatory requirements, tax variations, and payroll complexity. The company serves as legal employer of record while clients retain full control over employees' day-to-day work, priorities, and performance.

China Payroll's focused expertise spans the full employment lifecycle: legal contract drafting, government registrations, payroll calculations, tax withholding, mandatory benefits administration (health, unemployment, injury, maternity insurance), pension contributions, and housing fund contributions. The company has invested 20+ years building compliance frameworks to handle the intricate variations in social insurance rates, tax requirements, and employment regulations across China's major cities.

Links International is a Hong Kong-based EOR, PEO, and payroll services provider covering 30+ locations across the Asia Pacific and Middle East. The company operates China EOR services through its own entities, handling employment contracts, payroll, social insurance, and HR administration for foreign companies hiring in mainland China. Links International was recognized as a "Star Performer" in Everest Group's Multi-Country Payroll (MCP) Solutions PEAK Matrix Assessment in 2025, underscoring their payroll execution credibility.

The company provides end-to-end EOR services including contract preparation, terms negotiation, visa and immigration support, and full compliance management. Links International's approach to China specifically includes managing the five mandatory insurance schemes and housing provident fund, with city-specific contribution rates applied accurately. Their presence across Singapore, Hong Kong, and mainland China enables coordination for companies with hybrid Greater China operations.

Acclime operates as the Greater China division of a leading Asia corporate services provider. As a professional employer organization (PEO), Acclime can act as the official employer of record for staff in China, handling the legal employer relationship while clients retain full operational control. Acclime's integrated offering bundles EOR services with end-to-end visa and work permit assistance, payroll outsourcing, and HR administration -- reducing the need for clients to coordinate across multiple vendors.

Acclime's pricing structure is all-inclusive without hidden fees, and the company emphasizes the comparison between EOR's low setup and recurring costs versus traditional company formation. For clients converting contractors to employees or transitioning between hiring models, Acclime provides guidance on legal restructuring and compliance implications.

FDI China operates as a dedicated employment solutions provider for foreign companies entering or scaling in China. The company's EOR service enables clients to hire and manage staff without establishing a local entity, allowing rapid team expansion while FDI China assumes all legal employer responsibility and liability. For local hires, FDI China can complete hiring in just a few days, whereas expatriate hiring requires longer timelines due to visa application processing.

FDI China's EOR model handles all HR, payroll, and compliance functions, freeing client teams to focus on core business activities. The company serves both local and expatriate hiring with no limits on staff size, and emphasizes that all employment practices remain fully compliant with Chinese labor law and regulations.

AYP Group positions itself as an EOR and PEO specialist focused on the Asia Pacific region, with particular expertise in payroll management, taxation, and labor compliance across 14 Asian countries. For China specifically, AYP Group manages the full range of mandatory social security contributions, housing fund contributions, pension insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, and work-related injury insurance -- all of which vary by city and employee classification. The company has invested in technology and operational infrastructure designed specifically for Asia's payroll complexity, rather than adapting a global platform to regional needs.

EOS Global Expansion brings over 20 years of Asia experience to the China market with four Chinese legal entities. This multi-entity structure creates advantages in handling complex hiring scenarios, managing across different city jurisdictions, and maintaining regulatory compliance across diverse industry sectors. EOS employs staff through local Chinese entities while clients retain complete operational control. The company issues locally compliant employment contracts, completes statutory registrations for payroll, tax, and social insurance, and manages monthly payroll withholding and reporting. EOS's ability to hire both local and foreign staff positions them for companies building mixed-nationality teams in China.