Occupation salary profile

Labor Relations Specialists

SOC 13-1075 BLS OEWS May 2025

Resolve disputes between workers and managers, negotiate collective bargaining agreements, or coordinate grievance procedures to handle employee complaints. Excludes equal employment opportunity (EEO) officers, who are included in “Compliance Officers” (13-1041).

National median · BLS
$95,420
▲ +2.05% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$98,720
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
64,810
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Labor Relations Specialists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$50,490
25th$71,920
Median (50th)$95,420
75th$123,420
90th — top pay$156,180

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Labor Relations Specialists

BLS projects employment of labor relations specialists to grow 2.1% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 4,800 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
66,300 → 67,700
+1,400 jobs
Projected change
+2.1%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
4,800
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Plus less than 5 years experience
Self-employed
1.2% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Labor Relations Specialists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening4.4
  • Speaking4.3
  • Negotiation4.1
  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Writing4.0
  • Persuasion3.9
  • Social Perceptiveness3.8
  • Complex Problem Solving3.6
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.6
Top knowledge areas
  • Personnel and Human Resources4.0
  • English Language3.7
  • Law and Government3.6
  • Administration and Management3.1
  • Education and Training2.9
  • Customer and Personal Service2.7
  • Computers and Electronics2.7
  • Mathematics2.6
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointServiceNowWorkday softwareOracle HRISKubernetesMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft WordOracle PeopleSoftInternet Grievance System IGSLaborSoft LaborForce Arbitration/Appeals Manager moduleLaborSoft LaborForce Discipline Manager moduleLaborSoft LaborForce EEO Claims Manager moduleLaborSoft LaborForce Grievance Manager moduleLaborSoft LaborForce Incident Tracking module

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What 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.
  • 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.
  • Mediate discussions between employer and employee representatives in attempt to reconcile differences.
  • Review employer practices or employee data to ensure compliance with contracts on matters such as wages, hours, or conditions of employment.
Also called
Business AgentBusiness RepresentativeLabor Relations SpecialistLabor SpecialistGrievance Manager
More job titles for this occupation (43)
Appeals and Grievances SpecialistArbitration SpecialistCollective Bargaining SpecialistConciliatorContract NegotiatorEmployee and Labor Relations SpecialistEmployee Engagement SpecialistEmployee Experience SpecialistEmployee Relations Business Partner (ERBP)Employee Relations ConsultantEmployee Relations CoordinatorEmployee Relations GeneralistEmployee Relations InvestigatorEmployee Relations PartnerEmployee Relations Representative (Employee Relations Rep)Employee Relations SpecialistEmployee Representative (Employee Rep)Employer Relations Representative (Employer Relations Rep)Employer Relations SpecialistGrievance and Appeals SpecialistHR Specialist (Human Resources Specialist)Industrial Relations AnalystIndustrial Relations CounselorIndustrial Relations ManagerIndustrial Relations Representative (Industrial Relations Rep)Industrial Relations SpecialistIndustrial Relations WorkerLabor ConciliatorLabor Contract AnalystLabor MediatorLabor OrganizerLabor Relations AnalystLabor Relations ConsultantLabor Relations NegotiatorLabor Relations Representative (Labor Relations Rep)Labor Relations WorkerLabor Representative (Labor Rep)Personnel ArbitratorPersonnel NegotiatorRelations SpecialistUnion OrganizerUnion Representative (Union Rep)Union Steward

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.