The

5

best

Staffing

franchises of 2026

Complete ranking by Growth & Profitability

Staffing franchises provide outsourced recruiting, temporary staffing, and workforce placement services to businesses across multiple industries.

These concepts benefit from recurring client demand and scalable placement models, making payback efficiency, system scale, and operational leverage the most important performance drivers.

Below are the top 5 staffing franchises based on overall performance and system strength.

Express Employment Professionals

8.7
/
10

Express Employment Professionals offers staffing solutions, connecting job seekers with temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire job opportunities.

KEY FRANCHISE STATS

All you need to know about this franchise

Franchisees

?

783
+
-1%
-1%
Franchise fee

?

$40,000
Investment

?

$313,000 - $503,000
Revenue (AUV)

?

Undisclosed

$3,685,000

+
-18.9%
-18.9%
Operating Profit

?

n.a.

Our score
8.7
/
10

What WE LIKE

Here's the rationale for our score

Express Employment Professionals provides full-service staffing solutions, including temporary, evaluation-hire, and direct placement services.
Its ranking is driven by unmatched system scale and strong revenue generation despite modest growth.

  • Massive system with 783 franchisees
  • Moderate average investment (~$408K) for enterprise-level staffing
  • Efficient 0.11x payback
  • Slightly negative franchisee growth (~-1%) tempers an otherwise dominant position

Spherion

8.2
/
10

Spherion offers staffing and workforce solutions, connecting job seekers with temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire job opportunities across various industries.

KEY FRANCHISE STATS

All you need to know about this franchise

Franchisees

?

209
+
0%
0%
Franchise fee

?

$40,000
Investment

?

$214,000 - $343,000
Revenue (AUV)

?

Undisclosed

$3,188,000

+
n.a.
n.a.
Operating Profit

?

n.a.

Our score
8.2
/
10

What WE LIKE

Here's the rationale for our score

Spherion delivers professional staffing and recruiting services with a focus on skilled administrative and professional roles.
Its ranking reflects large-scale operations and strong unit-level revenue.

  • Large system with 209 franchisees
  • Reasonable average investment (~$279K)
  • Very fast 0.09x payback
  • Flat franchisee growth (0%) limits upside but supports stability

AtWork

7.6
/
10

AtWork offers staffing and workforce solutions, connecting job seekers with employers and providing staffing services for various industries.

KEY FRANCHISE STATS

All you need to know about this franchise

Franchisees

?

84
+
5%
5%
Franchise fee

?

$40,000
Investment

?

$156,000 - $213,000
Revenue (AUV)

?

Undisclosed

$1,545,000

+
-31.5%
-31.5%
Operating Profit

?

n.a.

Our score
7.6
/
10

What WE LIKE

Here's the rationale for our score

AtWork offers staffing services across light industrial, administrative, and professional segments.
Its ranking benefits from solid revenue output and steady system size.

  • Established system with 84 franchisees
  • Moderate average investment (~$185K)
  • Strong 0.12x payback
  • Positive franchisee growth (~5%) supports continued expansion

Payroll Vault

7.3
/
10

Payroll Vault provides comprehensive payroll and workforce management services for small to medium-sized businesses, offering customized solutions to meet specific business needs.

KEY FRANCHISE STATS

All you need to know about this franchise

Franchisees

?

54
+
-2%
-2%
Franchise fee

?

$68,500
Investment

?

$77,000 - $112,000
Revenue (AUV)

?

Undisclosed

$188,000

+
n.a.
n.a.
Operating Profit

?

45.3%

Our score
7.3
/
10

What WE LIKE

Here's the rationale for our score

Payroll Vault provides payroll, HR, and workforce management services to small and mid-sized businesses.
Its ranking is supported by excellent margins and low capital requirements.

  • Growing system with 54 franchisees
  • Low average investment (~$95K)
  • Solid 0.50x payback
  • Slightly negative franchisee growth (~-2%) limits near-term momentum

Snelling

7.0
/
10

Snelling is a staffing and recruitment franchise offering workforce solutions for businesses, connecting employers with qualified candidates for various industries.

KEY FRANCHISE STATS

All you need to know about this franchise

Franchisees

?

76
+
660%
660%
Franchise fee

?

$25,000
Investment

?

$45,000 - $146,000
Revenue (AUV)

?

Undisclosed

$347,000

+
n.a.
n.a.
Operating Profit

?

n.a.

Our score
7.0
/
10

What WE LIKE

Here's the rationale for our score

Snelling is a long-established staffing brand serving administrative, industrial, and professional markets.
Its ranking reflects strong growth momentum balanced against moderate system size.

  • Mid-sized system with 76 franchisees
  • Low average investment (~$96K)
  • Efficient 0.28x payback
  • Very strong franchisee growth (~660%) boosts ranking despite smaller footprint

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