Labor Relations Specialists Salary
Business and Financial Operations Occupations · 65K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$95,420
Median hourly
$46
Average annual
$98,720
Typical range
$50,490–$156,180
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Labor Relations Specialists is $95,420 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $46 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Resolve disputes between workers and managers, negotiate collective bargaining agreements, or coordinate grievance procedures to handle employee complaints..
Most earn between $50,490 and $156,180 a year. There are roughly 65K people employed as labor relations specialists in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Labor Relations Specialists.
- Hourly
- $45.88
- Daily
- $367
- Weekly
- $1,835
- Bi-weekly
- $3,670
- Monthly
- $7,952
- Annual
- $95,420
$95,420 a year is around the 50th percentile for Labor Relations Specialistss. The median is $95,420.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1New Jersey$118,370
- 2District of Columbia$115,600
- 3Massachusetts$111,260
- 4California$105,810
- 5Illinois$104,180
- 6Washington$104,100
- 7North Dakota$101,220
- 8Minnesota$100,760
- 9New York$100,500
- 10Virginia$98,730
- 11Delaware$97,390
- 12Arizona$97,070
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$133,270
- 2Vallejo, CA$131,680
- 3Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$128,320
- 4Bellingham, WA$126,160
- 5San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$124,400
- 6Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$119,200
- 7Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$118,520
- 8Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ$115,940
- 9Kennewick-Richland, WA$112,740
- 10Worcester, MA$112,230
- 11Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$108,760
- 12New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$107,470
Related job titles
Employers advertise Labor Relations Specialists roles under these titles.
- Appeals and Grievances Specialist
- Arbitration Specialist
- Collective Bargaining Specialist
- Employee and Labor Relations Specialist
- Employee Relations Representative (Employee Relations Rep)
- Employee Representative (Employee Rep)
- Employer Relations Representative (Employer Relations Rep)
- Employer Relations Specialist
- Grievance and Appeals Specialist
- Grievance Manager
- Industrial Relations Specialist
- Labor Conciliator
- Labor Mediator
- Labor Organizer
- Labor Relations Analyst
- Labor Relations Negotiator
Related occupations
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$75,530
- Compliance Officers$80,730
- Human Resources Managers$149,280
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists$78,210
- Human Resources Specialists$75,940
- Lawyers$159,670
- Compensation and Benefits Managers$149,230
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping$50,610
What a Labor Relations Specialists does
- Negotiate collective bargaining agreements.
- Investigate and evaluate union complaints or arguments to determine viability.
- Propose resolutions for collective bargaining or other labor or contract negotiations.
- Draft contract proposals or counter-proposals for collective bargaining or other labor negotiations.
- Interpret contractual agreements for employers and employees engaged in collective bargaining or other labor relations processes.
- Prepare evidence for disciplinary hearings, including preparing witnesses to testify.
- Review employer practices or employee data to ensure compliance with contracts on matters such as wages, hours, or conditions of employment.
- Recommend collective bargaining strategies, goals, or objectives.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Labor Relations Specialists make?
- The median annual wage for Labor Relations Specialists is $95,420 ($46 per hour). Pay ranges from about $50,490 at the 10th percentile to $156,180 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Labor Relations Specialists?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $98,720, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Labor Relations Specialistss the most?
- New Jersey has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $118,370.
- Is Labor Relations Specialists a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 65K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Labor Relations Specialists do?
- Negotiate collective bargaining agreements.; Investigate and evaluate union complaints or arguments to determine viability.; Propose resolutions for collective bargaining or other labor or contract negotiations..