Labor Relations Specialists
Resolve disputes between workers and managers, negotiate collective bargaining agreements, or coordinate grievance procedures to handle employee complaints.
What it pays
Labor Relations Specialists earn a median of $45.87/hr — about $95,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $24.27/hr; the top 10% earn $75.09/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Labor Relations Specialists earn a median of $45.87/hr — about $95,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $24.27/hr; the top 10% earn $75.09/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work splits time indoors and out. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0.5% of labor relations specialists are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.
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Quick questions
- How much does a labor relations specialist make?
- The median pay is $45.87 per hour — roughly $95,500 a year, with the real range running from about $24.27/hr (10th percentile) to $75.09/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a labor relations specialist?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a labor relations specialist actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.