Let’s be real — payroll isn’t the most glamorous part of running a medical spa.
You didn’t open your doors to get lost in spreadsheets, juggle endless commission breakdowns, or triple-check time sheets. But here you are, probably doing all of that and maybe wondering if there’s a better way.
Spoiler alert: There is, and that is having the right payroll software solution at your disposal.
The right payroll software matters. The kind that understands how your business works and actually makes your life easier, not harder. Think fewer errors, more time back in your day, and a happier team that gets paid accurately and on time.
In this blog, we’re breaking down the must-have payroll features designed specifically for med spas.
Why payroll is more complex for med spas
If payroll feels like a never-ending game of Tetris, you’re not imagining things. Med spas face some unique challenges that most generic payroll systems just aren’t built to handle.
You’ve got a blend of hourly staff, salaried professionals, and commission-based practitioners – all under one roof. Add in fluctuating schedules, service-based bonuses, tips, and retail upsells, and suddenly, your payroll “simple math” turns into a full-blown logic puzzle.
And let’s not even get started on manually tracking all of that. It’s time-consuming, error-prone, and takes you away from what really matters— caring for your clients and growing your business.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Read on to see how the right med spa software can help.
Managing hourly, salaried, and commission-based staff
Med spas are anything but one-size-fits-all. Your injector might be salaried, your aesthetician could work on commission, and your front desk staff is hourly. Manually juggling all of these pay structures? Exhausting.
In a 2024 study, over half (53%) of surveyed companies incurred payroll penalties in the last five years due to non-compliance.
This highlights the importance of accurate payroll management that can handle mixed compensation models without making you want to pull your hair out.
Tracking tips and add-on incentives
Tips, product commissions, package bonuses can quickly complicate payroll—but when tracked properly, they don’t have to be a headache. The right payroll tool makes sure these extra earnings don’t fall through the cracks, so your team gets paid fairly.
Juggling multiple roles and shifts
Got a team member who’s both an aesthetician and a laser tech? Or someone who floats between locations? Your payroll needs to keep up. A flexible system can track role-based pay and shift changes accurately, so what your team does is reflected in what they earn.
Healthcare organizations face unique challenges in managing payroll operations due to diverse workforce compositions and complex scheduling requirements, as reported in this study.
Must-have payroll software features for med spas
Managing payroll is a hassle as it requires accurate, fair work that must be done quickly and without taking over your entire week. And for med spas, with all your moving parts, having the right software platform is what makes it all manageable.
The best payroll tools should support your business behind the scenes. From improving staff satisfaction to cutting admin time, the features listed below can truly change the game.
And by the way, Pabau includes all of these key features out of the box. Just saying…
Automated payroll calculations
Automated payroll does the heavy lifting, such as calculating hours, commissions, overtime, and taxes for you. This is huge for smaller teams where managers wear multiple hats. No more worrying about missed numbers or manual mistakes — just smooth, accurate payroll every time.
Each staff member’s rate, contracted hours, and overtime rules are set directly in their profile. From there, Pabau automatically calculates payroll based on real clock-ins and recorded breaks.
It even handles overtime pay — no calculator required. Once everything’s ready, use the Stripe integration to process payments securely.
Custom commission tracking
Whether your team is earning commissions on injectables, packages, or product sales, your payroll software should track those earnings automatically.
With custom commission tracking, you can set rates by service, product, or even provider. That means high performers get rewarded fairly, without you needing a spreadsheet to keep up.
In Pabau, with tiered or fixed commission rates, you can assign and automate earnings for all services, products, packages, and vouchers.
Time and attendance integration
When payroll syncs with your team’s actual hours — clock-ins, breaks, and all — it’s a game-changer for staff management.
No more chasing down timesheets or resolving “I swore I clocked out” disputes. Just accurate data that flows straight into payroll, so you can pay with confidence.
Support for multiple pay schedules
Some team members get paid weekly, others biweekly, and a few monthly. Sound familiar?
Med spa business management often runs on mixed pay cycles, and your medical spa software should be able to handle all of them, while staying in sync with your employee scheduling.
In Pabau, for example, pay schedules are set per staff member. That means whether you’re paying injectors weekly and admin staff monthly, you can configure it all in one place — with no complicated setup.
Tip management
Tips can be tricky. They’re earned by different people, across different services, and need to be tracked properly for both fairness and compliance. Good payroll software makes sure tips are distributed accurately and reported correctly, keeping your team happy and your books in order.
When clients tip via Stripe, Pabau logs and allocates those tips within the payment record. That means each team member gets the right amount, and you stay compliant with tax and reporting requirements.
Leave and time-off tracking
Sick days, holidays, unpaid leave — these need to be reflected in payroll too. Instead of juggling separate systems or sticky notes, look for software that tracks and processes time off automatically. That way, you’re not left guessing who’s out and what that means for payroll.
Built-in compliance tools
Tax laws, labor rules, data security and reporting requirements aren’t exactly thrilling, but they’re necessary. Solid payroll software helps you stay compliant without needing a law degree.
Software with automatic tax calculations, clear GDPR/HIPAA-compliant audit trails, and up-to-date labor rule support helps protect your business from avoidable fines or errors.
Bonus features that enhance operational efficiency
Once you’ve got the payroll basics covered, it’s these bonus features that take things from “functional” to “fantastic.” They’re not strictly essential, but for busy med spa owners, especially those juggling multiple locations or scaling fast, they can be serious time-savers.
Integrated scheduling and payroll
If you’re managing schedules in one system and payroll in another, you’re doing double work.
With integrated scheduling and payroll, staff hours flow directly from your calendar into payroll, so there’s no need to re-enter data or cross-check manually.
Additionally, look for functionality that allows you to create repeating shifts with ease—making staff scheduling simple, consistent, and seamlessly reflected in payroll without the need for manual updates.
Staff self-service portals
You shouldn’t have to dig up every pay slip or answer “how many vacation days do I have left?” fifteen times a month.
A self-service portal gives your team access to their own pay info, schedules, and leave balances. It empowers your staff, saves your admin team time, and keeps everyone in the loop.
Reporting and analytics
Want to know how much commission you paid last month? Which team members are driving the most retail sales? Or how payroll costs compare across locations?
The image here shows Pabau’s Team Report feature, which gives med spa owners a clear, visual overview of staff performance, hours worked, and revenue earned.
With built-in reporting and analytics, you get the insights you need to make smart, data-driven decisions about staffing, scheduling, and budgeting, without needing to become a spreadsheet wizard.
Common payroll pain points — and how the right software solves them
Most med spa owners didn’t get into business to become payroll pros, but these everyday frustrations can pile up fast.
The good news? With the right software, these problems aren’t permanent. Let’s take a look:
Manual processes that waste time
Toggling between schedules, timesheets, and payroll templates? It’s a time suck and it’s way too easy to make mistakes. Automated systems pull everything into one place, so payroll takes minutes, not hours.
Payroll errors that erode trust
Missed commissions or incorrect hours can quickly damage team morale, especially when your staff is going above and beyond. Accurate, transparent payroll keeps trust high and tension low.
Limited visibility into payroll costs
Without real-time data, it’s hard to spot trends or adjust staffing based on your budget. Smart payroll software gives you instant insights, so you’re always in control of your labor costs.
What to look for when evaluating payroll software
Not sure if your current payroll system is helping or holding you back? Here’s a quick checklist to help you evaluate what you really need to make payroll smoother, faster, and less stressful.
Use it to assess your current setup or as a guide when shopping for something better.
Industry-specific features
- Supports commissions by service/product/provider
- Tracks tips and retail bonuses easily
- Handles flexible roles and mixed pay types (hourly, salaried, commission)
- Designed with med spas in mind, not just general salons
Scalability and support
- Grows with your business (new staff, new locations, no problem)
- Offers responsive, friendly customer support
- Regularly updated with new features
- Built with compliance in mind, including HIPAA and GDPR support
Ease of use and onboarding
- User-friendly for both managers and staff
- Simple, guided onboarding process
- Minimizes training time and setup stress
⚠️ Pabau checks all of these boxes and makes payroll something you can actually feel good about. When you’re ready to level up, we’re here to help.
Run payroll with confidence — The Pabau way
You shouldn’t have to dread payroll day. With the right tools, it’s totally possible to save hours of admin time, avoid costly mistakes, and improve your overall business operations.
That’s where Pabau comes in. It’s an all-in-one practice management software designed specifically for med spas, so every feature works the way you actually need it to.
Pabau includes real-time payroll processing and compliance tools, and makes staff management easier with features like:
- Smart scheduling with repeating shifts for simple planning and accurate payroll
- Built-in time tracking to log clock-ins, breaks, and hours in real time
- Flexible pay schedules set per staff member (weekly, biweekly, or monthly)
- Custom commission tracking for services, packages, products, and vouchers
- Performance insights to monitor productivity and reward top staff
- User permissions to control staff access by role
Whether you’re managing a small business or multi-location med spa, Pabau helps streamline and simplify your day-to-day operations so you can focus on what matters most: your clients and your team.
Check out our pricing page and see how Pabau can elevate your med spa business—from payroll and beyond.
