There’s little doubt about it: California is a talent hotspot.
With 78 of the United States’ Fortune 100 companies headquartered there — including giants like Apple and Google — and the state boasting the largest tech workforce in the US, it’s no wonder “The Golden State” is so synonymous with innovation and ambition, particularly when it comes to the tech sector.
As a finance startup looking for a data scientist or a fintech software engineer, wouldn’t it be great if you could tap into this talent-rich market, even if your company is based in another state (or another country) altogether?
Well, technically you can — and here are two reasons why:
- A shift to remote work has made ‘borderless’ hiring increasingly possible, particularly in tech-driven industries where in-person collaboration isn’t always necessary.
- Employer of Record (EOR) platforms enable businesses to hire remotely in pretty much any global location, without the complexity that might once have entailed.
EOR services are nothing new, of course (they’ve been around since the early part of the century), but their availability and popularity has ballooned in recent years, owing in part to the recent pandemic and the subsequent widespread adoption of remote work. After all, why limit your talent search to your local area when location is no longer of great importance?
Looking to hire California-based talent for your finance startup? Check out our rundown of the 10 best EOR services in California.
1. Remote
Let’s start with Remote, an EOR platform that makes global hiring remarkably straightforward. In fact, if you’re looking for a California Employer of Record, it’s probably the best end-to-end solution you’ll find.
Indeed, Remote doesn’t just cover entry-level stuff like payroll and benefits. It also handles compliance with laser-like precision, making sure every hire is fully aligned with state, federal and international regulations — no matter where you’re recruiting from.
For finance-focused roles, Remote’s built-in IP protection and attention to global tax and labor requirements give businesses real peace of mind. Plus, its platform is highly intuitive, making global HR feel almost as seamless as making a hire down the street.
Its pricing is clear and predictable too, making Remote ideal for startups that have to balance growth and cost, and its support staff operate across time zones — ensuring help is always available when you need it.
2. Velocity Global
For early‑stage or rapidly-growing finance startups, Velocity Global is an ideal option. Its biggest draw is its ability to adapt quickly to highly regulated environments — making it a strong fit for businesses managing sensitive financial data or with multi‑jurisdictional compliance requirements.
Its global infrastructure allows firms to hire staff quickly and reliably, from California to New York to London, Sydney, Tokyo, and beyond.
One area where Velocity Global really shines is its consulting-led approach. Its team of experts can guide you through complex global employment scenarios, so it’s ideal for roles that must adhere to stringent regulations.
Velocity’s digital dashboards also give financial leaders clear oversight of global staffing costs, making it easy to balance talent needs with operational constraints.
If there’s a limitation, it’s that this highly tailored approach can come at a premium, making it a bit restrictive for businesses looking for more of an “off‑the‑shelf” solution. Yet for roles that matter to your core financial operations, this higher price point is often justified.
3. Remote People
Remote People is a rising star in the EOR landscape, especially for finance startups that want to tap into California’s deep talent pool without the hassle of entity setup or complex compliance management.
What makes Remote People especially appealing is its transparent and flexible pricing, with EOR services starting from just $199 per employee per month — one of the most competitive rates on the market. But it’s not just affordability that sets them apart. Remote People also offers end-to-end recruitment services, making it easier for finance companies to source top-tier talent — like financial analysts or fintech developers — and onboard them quickly.
Its California-specific expertise ensures full compliance with the state’s notoriously complex labor laws, including wage transparency, paid sick leave, and employee classification. That makes Remote People an excellent partner for startups navigating sensitive financial data, IP protection, or multi-state hiring requirements.
If you’re after a cost-effective, high-touch EOR partner that goes beyond compliance to actually help you build your team, Remote People delivers a standout blend of price, support, and service.
4. Safeguard Global
When it comes to tailored global hiring services, Safeguard Global is a safe bet (see what we did there?)
However, Safeguard Global’s mantra isn’t all about helping you hire staff quickly. Instead, it takes the time to understand your business, crafting a global hiring solution that caters to your specific needs.
Its main focus is on providing compliant, fully supported global staffing means you can hire software engineers or financial analysts almost as easily as making a local hire. Its global HR services cover pretty much every angle, too — benefits, payroll, risk, tax, and compliance are all taken care of.
This highly tailored approach can come with longer setup times and higher price points, but if your finance business is making a long-term investment in global staff, this higher upfront cost often delivers significant returns in quality and peace of mind.
5. Oyster
With Oyster, the world really is your… well, you get where we’re going with this. The platform’s biggest draw is its simplicity, making it ideal for smaller finance teams making their first international hires — whether that’s a loan officer in Los Angeles or a budget analyst in Buenos Aires.
For early‑stage ventures and smaller finance startups, Oyster’s low‑friction onboarding process is a real plus. But it also has competitive pricing and a clean, easy‑to‑understand platform.
Oyster’s global benefits packages and compliance services cover over 180 countries, making it ideal for businesses making a handful of hires across borders. In fact, it’s particularly suited to SaaS and fintech businesses that want to focus more on growth and less on dealing with international regulations.
It may be a little simplistic for larger businesses or highly regulated industries where customization is required, but for small, growing teams it delivers an ideal blend of cost‑effectiveness, ease of use and global reach.
6. Deel
If you’re looking for speed and scalability, Deel is a strong pick. This platform has built a reputation for making global hiring quick yet fully compliant — ideal for SaaS or fintech startups that want to hire across borders with minimal delays.
Arguably Deel’s biggest draw is its remarkably seamless experience for both employers and employees. Its global payroll services cover more than 150 countries, making it easy to hire top talent in Silicon Valley, Singapore, or anywhere in between.
For finance startups working in SaaS or financial analytics, Deel’s user‑friendly platform allows businesses to generate compliant, localized agreements instantly, while its built-in payments and benefits services save hours of manual effort.
While its automation is a huge benefit for startups, it can be less ideal for highly customized setups or businesses with complex global staff structures. However, for growing SaaS or fintech businesses looking to make rapid hires, Deel delivers an ideal balance of speed and ease of use.
7. Papaya Global
Papaya Global has more of an enterprise‑level approach to global payroll, which admittedly may rule it out for some more early-stage finance startups.
Nonetheless, it may suit growing or slightly more established finance firms making long‑term international hires, with a sophisticated global payroll and benefits system and advanced analytics tools to give HR teams and CFOs precise, actionable data on global staff costs.
Sure, Papaya’s pricing and seemingly infinite depth of features might be overwhelming for smaller businesses, but if you’re building a global team and have highly complex compliance needs, Papaya delivers a robust service that (mostly) justifies its steep costs.
8. FoxHire
If your finance firm is a little tentative about making its first international hire, FoxHire is a great place to start. It’s an accessible, affordable option for small businesses, with straightforward pricing and a simple service model. In fact, it’s probably one of the best EOR solutions for early‑stage startups.
FoxHire focuses on making global hiring as painless as possible, and it’s ideal if you don’t have a dedicated HR department — which many startups won’t, of course.
Its platform allows businesses to hire quickly across borders, providing compliant contracts, benefits and payroll services all in an easy‑to‑use environment.
Of course, its lower price point and focus on simplicity means you sacrifice some of the more advanced HR-related features, but if you’re “testing the waters” of global hiring it provides a good balance of affordability and reliability.
9. Element Global Services
If you’re thinking, “I haven’t heard of this one before,” it’s perhaps because it used to be known as Element Global Services.
In any case, for firms in highly regulated spaces like fintech, SaaS or financial analytics, Atlas’s focus on customization is perhaps its biggest USP.
With specialist expertise in global benefits and compliance, Atlas is great if you’re making shines when making more “complex” hires. Its service model allows you to hire quickly while also providing long‑term global HR support.
If there’s a caveat, it’s that this highly personalized service can be expensive for smaller firms making just a handful of hires. But for businesses making long‑term investments in highly regulated global roles, Atlas delivers precision and peace of mind.
10. Rippling
Rippling isn’t strictly a global hiring platform (there’s a lot more to it than that) but it does offer an EOR solution for businesses looking to hire in overseas markets.
In fact, it’s more of an all-in-one tool that encompasses everything from HR to IT. This is perhaps its biggest draw and its biggest drawback: while it offers a vast suite of tools in one single platform, its EOR offering is less mature (and currently available in fewer countries) than many of its competitors.
So, if you want a comprehensive solution for managing people, payroll, benefits, IT and so on, Rippling might be your go-to option. But if you’re just looking to make a handful of global hires, it may be better to opt for something like Remote or Deel.
On the plus side, its platform is highly customizable, and its pricing is perhaps surprisingly competitive considering the depth of services it provides.
From Remote and Velocity Global, ideal for highly regulated spaces, to more accessible platforms like Oyster and FoxHire, these ten EOR services open the door to top talent in California and beyond. Whatever your focus — SaaS engineering, financial analytics, global compliance — the right EOR allows you to hire quickly and cost-effectively. In a global market, that’s a competitive edge.
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