Labor Relations Specialists: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Business and Financial Operations · SOC 13-1075 · O*NET 13-1075.00
Resolve disputes between workers and managers, negotiate collective bargaining agreements, or coordinate grievance procedures to handle employee complaints.
Labor Relations Specialists fall under the Business and Financial Operations category in the U.S. occupational classification. Labor Relations Specialists earn a median salary of $93,500 per year, ranking in the top 17% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -0.1% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do labor relations specialists earn?
The median annual wage for labor relations specialists is $93,500. That puts labor relations specialists at #136 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $49,880 |
| 25th percentile | $67,670 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $93,500 |
| 75th percentile | $123,090 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $153,440 |
| Median hourly wage | $44.95/hr |
Is labor relations specialists a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for labor relations specialists is -0.1%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 65K positions in 2024 to 65K in 2034, a net change of 0K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What do labor relations specialists do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working labor relations specialists, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Negotiate collective bargaining agreements.
- 2.Investigate and evaluate union complaints or arguments to determine viability.
- 3.Propose resolutions for collective bargaining or other labor or contract negotiations.
- 4.Draft contract proposals or counter-proposals for collective bargaining or other labor negotiations.
- 5.Interpret contractual agreements for employers and employees engaged in collective bargaining or other labor relations processes.
- 6.Prepare evidence for disciplinary hearings, including preparing witnesses to testify.
- 7.Mediate discussions between employer and employee representatives in attempt to reconcile differences.
- 8.Review employer practices or employee data to ensure compliance with contracts on matters such as wages, hours, or conditions of employment.
Top skills for labor relations specialists
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become labor relations specialist?
The standard path into labor relations specialists begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about labor relations specialists
What is the median salary for labor relations specialists?
The median annual salary for labor relations specialists is $93,500 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is labor relations specialists a growing career?
BLS projects -0.1% growth for labor relations specialists from 2024 through 2034, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2034.
What education does my child need to become labor relations specialist?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to labor relations specialists?
Related occupations within the Business and Financial Operations category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.