Business and Financial Operations
Labor Relations Specialists
Resolve disputes between workers and managers, negotiate collective bargaining agreements, or coordinate grievance procedures to handle employee complaints.
MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
Source wage group: Labor Relations Specialists
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Labor Relations Specialists. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Median annual wage$95,420USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$45.87USD per hour · Published 50th percentile
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $50,490 | $24.27 |
| 25th | $71,920 | $34.58 |
| 50th · Median | $95,420 | $45.87 |
| 75th | $123,420 | $59.34 |
| 90th | $156,180 | $75.09 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE
What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
Appeals and Grievances SpecialistArbitration SpecialistBusiness AgentBusiness RepresentativeCollective Bargaining SpecialistConciliatorContract NegotiatorEmployee and Labor Relations SpecialistEmployee Engagement SpecialistEmployee Experience SpecialistEmployee Relations Business Partner (ERBP)Employee Relations Consultant
Expand more title examples (36)
Employee 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 SpecialistGrievance ManagerHR 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 SpecialistLabor Relations WorkerLabor Representative (Labor Rep)Labor SpecialistPersonnel ArbitratorPersonnel NegotiatorRelations SpecialistUnion OrganizerUnion Representative (Union Rep)Union Steward
Typical tasks
- 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.
Expand more tasks (22)
- 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.
- Recommend collective bargaining strategies, goals, or objectives.
- Monitor company or workforce adherence to labor agreements.
- Call or meet with union, company, government, or other interested parties to discuss labor relations matters, such as contract negotiations or grievances.
- Assess risk levels associated with collective bargaining strategies.
- Present the position of the company or of labor during arbitration or other labor negotiations.
- Identify alternatives to proposals of unions, employees, companies, or government agencies.
- Draft rules or regulations to govern collective bargaining activities in collaboration with company, government, or employee representatives.
- Research case law or outcomes of previous case hearings.
- Write letters related to labor relations activities, such as letters to amend collective bargaining agreements, letters of dispute or conciliation, or letters to seek clarification of contract terms.
- Schedule or coordinate the details of grievance hearings or other meetings.
- Review and approve employee disciplinary actions, such as written reprimands, suspensions, or terminations.
- Select mediators or arbitrators for labor disputes or contract negotiations.
- Assess the impact of union proposals on company or government operations.
- Advise management on matters related to the administration of contracts or employee discipline or grievance procedures.
- Train managers or supervisors on topics related to labor relations, such as working conditions, safety, or equal opportunity practices.
- Provide expert testimony in legal proceedings related to labor relations or labor contracts.
- Develop employee health and safety policies.
- Develop methods to monitor employee satisfaction with policies or working conditions, including grievance or complaint procedures.
- Prepare reports or presentations to communicate employee satisfaction or related data to management.
- Prepare and submit required governmental reports or forms related to labor relations matters, such as equal employment opportunity (EEO) forms, new hire forms, or minority compensation reports.
Skills used in this work
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Expand more skills (29)
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
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